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THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


PRESENTED  BY 


Elizabeth  Preston  Ward 

in  memory  of 
jean  Versfelt  Preston 


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AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


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Ss^f 


MARI 

Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 


THE 

Little  Cousin  Series 

(tradb  mark) 

Each  volume  illustrated  with  six  or  more'  full-page  plates  in 

tint.     Cloth,  i2mo,  with  decorative  cover, 

per  volume,  60  cents 

LIST   OF   TITLES 

By  Mary  Hazelton  Wade 

(unless  otherwise  indicated) 


Our  Little  African  Cousin 
Our  Little  Alaskan  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

Our  Little  Arabian  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Armenian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Australian  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Brazilian  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

Our  Little  Brown  Cousin 
Our  Little  Canadian  Cousin 

By  Elizabeth  R.  MacDonald 

Our  Little  Chinese  Cousin 

By  Isaac  Taylor  Headland 

Our  Little  Cuban  Cousin 
Our  Little  Dutch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Egyptian  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  English  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 
Our  Little  French  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  German  Cousin 
Our  Little  Greek  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

L.  C.  PAGE 

New  England  Building, 


Our  Little  Hawaiian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Hindu  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  Hungarian  Cousin 
By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Indian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Irish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Japanese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Jewish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Korean  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 
Our  Little  Mexican  Cousin 

By  Edward  C.  Butler 
Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 
Our  Little  Persian  Cousin 

By  E.  C.  Shedd 
Our  Little  Philippine  Cousin 
Our  Little  Porto  Rican  Cousin 
Our  Little  Russian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Scotch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  Siamese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Swedish  Cousin 

By  Claire  M.  Coburn 
Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 
Our  Little  Turkish  Cousin 

r   COMPANY 

Boston,  Mass. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


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%  MARI  I 

J   Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin   ^ 


*■ 


By 

Mary  Hazelton  Wade 


Boston 
L.  C.  Page  &  Company 


PUBLISHERS 


* 


^  Illustrated  by  *T 

^  L.  J.  Bridgman  ^ 


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Copyright,  IQ03 
By  L.  C.  Page  &  Company 

(incorporated) 


All  rights  reserved 


Fifth   Impression,   June,    1908 
Sixth   Impression,   March,    1910 


Preface 

Long  before  Columbus  discovered  America, 
there  were  brave  men  in  the  north  of  Europe 
who  dared  to  sail  farther  out  upon  the  un- 
known waters  of  the  Atlantic  than  any  other 
people  in  the  world.  These  daring  seamen 
were  called  Vikings.  Their  home  was  the 
peninsula  of  Scandinavia,  now  ruled  over  by 
one  king,  although  divided  into  two  distinct 
countries,  Norway  and  Sweden. 

It  was  along  the  shores  of  Norway,  with 
rugged  mountains  fringing  its  deep  bays,  that 
the  Vikings  learned  command  of  their  curious, 
high-prowed  ships,  and  overcame  all  fear  of 
wind  and  storm.  Their  strong  nature  shows 
itself  to-day  in  the  people  of  Norway,  who 
patiently  endure  many  hardships  while  trying 


vi  Preface 

to  get  a  living  on  the  rough  mountain-sides  or 
along  the  rocky  coasts. 

Many  of  our  Norwegian  cousins  have  come 
to  America  to  make  a  new  home  for  them- 
selves where  the  sun  shines  more  warmly  and 
the  winds  blow  less  keenly.  Their  fair-haired 
children  are  growing  up  amongst  us,  showing 
us  the  qualities  their  parents  most  admire. 
Be  brave,  be  honest,  be  kind  to  all  creatures, 
be  faithful  to  every  little  duty,  —  these  are  the 
lessons  they  have  been  taught  from  babyhood, 
as  well  as  their  brothers  and  sisters  who  have 
not  as  yet  ventured  far  from  the  land  they 
love  so  well,  —  the  land  of  rapid-flowing  rivers, 
deep,  dark  bays,  and  narrow  valleys. 

Come  with  me  to-day  to  the  home  of  one 
of  these  blue-eyed  cousins  and  join  her  for 
a  while  in  her  work  and  play. 


Contents 

CHAPTER 

I. 

The  Farm   . 

II. 

Visitors       . 

III. 

The  Christening 

IV. 

The  Lost  Pin     . 

V. 

The  Birthday    . 

VI. 

The  Wedding     . 

VII. 

Legends 

VIII. 

The  Lumber  Camp     . 

IX. 

The  Lapps  . 

X. 

Holiday  Frolics 

PAGE 

9 

21 

36 
46 

59 
66 
72 
92 
101 
in 


List  of  Illustrations 

PAGE 

Mari         .......        Frontispiece 

"  It    was    a    sort    of    gig    with    very    long 

SHAFTS  " 22 

The  Christening 41 

Carved  Houses  at  Thelemarken       ...  62 

Ski-lobing 74 

" «  It  is  always  in  the  shape  of  a  mound  ' "   .  103 


MARI 

Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE    FARM 


<c  Come,  Mari,  my  little  daughter,  and  you 
shall  help  me  make  the  cakes,"  called  her 
mother. 

Mari  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  big  farm- 
yard with  a  flock  of  hens  around  her.  She 
was  scattering  grain  among  them  from  a  big 
bag  on  her  arm ;  not  a  sound  could  be  heard 
except  once  in  a  while  the  scratching  of  the 
hens'  feet.  They  were  too  busy  to  notice  each 
other  or  the  big  dog  that  sat  on  the  door-step. 

The  little  girl  laughed  quietly  as  she  watched 
them.     "  They  are  so  happy ;  they  love  this 

9 


io  Our  Little   Norwegian  Cousin 

pleasant  summer-time  as  much  as  I  do,"  she 
said  to  herself. 

But  the  moment  she  heard  her  mother's 
voice,  she  turned  quickly  toward  the  house 
without  stopping  a  moment  longer  to  see 
whether  her  pet  hen,  Biddy  Wee,  or  cross  old 
Yellow  Legs  got  the  most  dinner.  Mari  never 
in  her  life  thought  of  answering  her  parents  by 
saying : 

"  Why,  papa  ?  "  or  tf  Why,  mamma  ? "  or 
"  I'll  come  in  a  moment." 

Mari  lives  in  Norway,  and  Norwegian  par- 
ents train  their  children  to  obey  without  delay. 

The  little  girl  was  only  too  glad  to  come 
now,  however.  Her  mother  had  promised  she 
should  learn  to  make  flat-bread  to-day.  She 
was  pleased  that  she  was  old  enough  to  be 
trusted  with  this  important  work.  Why,  she 
could  keep  house  alone  when  she  had  mastered 
this  necessary  art,  and  her  mother  could  leave 
her  in  charge. 


The  Farm  II 

Mari  remembers  when  she  was  such  a  tiny  tot 
that  her  head  barely  reached  above  the  table. 
Even  then  she  loved  to  watch  her  mother 
as  she  sat  at  the  big  moulding-board,  rolling 
out  the  dough  until  it  was  nearly  as  thin  as 
paper. 

This  dough  was  made  of  barley-meal  which 
was  raised  here  at  the  farm.  It  was  rolled  out 
into  sheets  almost  as  wide  as  the  table  itself, 
for  each  cake  must  be  about  a  half-yard  across. 
Then  came  the  cooking.  The  cake  was  lifted 
from  the  board  to  a  hot  flat  stone  on  the  fire- 
place, where  it  was  quickly  baked.  How  fast 
the  pile  grew !  and  how  skilful  mother  always 
was.  She  never  seemed  to  burn  or  break  a 
single  cake. 

Wherever  you  go  in  Mari's  country  you 
will  find  flat-bread.  You  can  eat  quantities  of 
it,  if  you  like,  yet  somehow  it  will  not  easily 
check  your  hunger,  and  it  gives  little  strength. 

"  Now,  dear,  be  careful  not  to  get  a  grain  of 


12   Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

dust  on  the  floor,"  said  her  mother,  as  Mari 
stood  at  the  table  ready  for  directions. 

The  child  looked  very  pretty,  with  her  long, 
light  hair  hanging  down  her  back  in  two  braids. 
The  snowy  kerchief  was  tied  under  her  chin 
just  as  it  was  when  she  came  in  from  the  farm- 
yard. She  had  no  need  to  put  on  an  apron 
before  beginning  her  work,  for  she  already 
wore  one.  She  was  never  without  it,  in  fact, 
and  hardly  thought  herself  dressed  in  the 
morning  until  her  apron  had  been  fastened 
around  her  plump  little  waist. 

Her  cheeks  looked  rosy  enough  to  kiss,  but 
such  a  thing  seldom  happened,  for  mothers  in 
Norway  believe  that  is  a  bad  habit.  They 
think  that  it  often  leads  to  the  carrying  of 
disease  from  one  person  to  another. 

"  Shake  hands  with  the  baby  and  the  chil- 
dren," they  would  say,  "  but  please  don't  kiss 
them."  They  are  wise  in  this,  —  don't  you 
think  so  ? 


The  Farm  13 

Before  Mari  had  rolled  out  six  cakes,  her 
cheeks  grew  rosier  yet.  It  was  hard  work, 
although  it  had  seemed  easy  enough  when 
mother   was  doing  it. 

The  first  three  cakes  had  to  be  rolled  over 
and  over  again  because  they  would  stick  to  the 
board.  Then  the  lifting  was  not  such  a  simple 
thing  as  Mari  had  supposed  before  she  came  to 
do  it  herself.  But  she  kept  trying.  Her 
mother  was  very  patient  and  encouraged  her 
with  loving  smiles  and  kind  words.  At  last 
the  little  girl  made  a  really  good  cake  and 
landed  it  all  by  herself  on  the  stone,  without 
doubling,  or  even  wrinkling,  it. 

"  Good,  good,"  said  her  mother,  "  you  will 
soon  be  a  real  helper,  Mari.  But  now  you 
have  worked  long  enough  for  the  first  time. 
I  will  finish  the  baking  while  you  take  the 
baby  and  give  him  an  airing." 

And  where  was  the  baby,  bless  him  ?  Mari 
knew,  for  she  went  at  once  to  the  other  side 


14  Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

of  the  room  where  a  pole  was  fastened  into  the 
wall.  A  big  basket  was  hanging  down  from 
the  end  of  this  pole,  and  in  the  basket  was  a 
little  blue-eyed  baby,  cooing  softly  to  himself. 

Mari's  mother  was  a  very  busy  woman. 
There  was  always  something  to  do,  either 
inside  the  house  or  out-of-doors.  She  had 
very  little  time  for  holding  a  baby.  So  when 
Mari  and  her  brothers  were  away  at  school, 
and  mother  was  left  alone,  that  dear  little  rosy- 
cheeked  fellow  sometimes  began  to  cry  in  a 
very  lively  manner.  The  cooking  and  the 
cheese-making  and  the  spinning  must  go  on 
just  the  same,  and  time  could  not  be  spent 
in  holding  a  baby. 

But  he  must  be  amused  in  some  way.  So 
the  strong  pole  was  fastened  into  the  wall, 
and  the  cradle  attached  to  the  end.  Do  you 
wonder  what  fun  there  could  be  in  staying  up 
in  that  basket,  hour  after  hour?  The  baby 
enjoyed   it  because  the  pole  would  spring  a 


The  Farm  15 

little  at  every  movement  of  his  body.  As 
long  as  he  kept  awake,  he  could,  and  did, 
bob  up  and  down.  That  was  amusement 
enough. 

He  was  glad  to  see  Mari  now.  She  was  a 
perfect  little  mother,  and  soon  had  his  hood 
and  cloak  fastened  on.  They  were  hardly 
needed,  for  he  was  already  done  up  in  so 
many  garments,  it  didn't  seem  possible  he 
could  be  cold,  wherever  he  went. 

The  living-room,  where  Mari  had  been 
working,  was  large  and  high.  The  beams 
were  dark  with  age,  but  the  floor  was  white 
from  the  many  scrubbings  Mari's  mother  had 
given  it. 

On  one  side  of  the  room  was  the  big  fire- 
place where  all  the  cooking  was  done.  During 
the  long  winter  evenings  the  family  and  serv- 
ants sat  in  front  of  the  blazing  logs  and  told 
stories  of  the  famous  sea-captains  of  the  olden 
times.     Or  perhaps  they  talked  of  the  fairies 


1 6  Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

and  giants,  in  whom  Mari  firmly  believed. 
Her  mother  laughed  at  the  idea  of  these  won- 
derful creatures.  Yet,  after  all,  it  was  not 
more  than  a  hundred  years  ago  that  they 
seemed  real  to  many  grown-up  people. 

Wonderful  creatures  who  made  themselves 
seen  from  time  to  time  dwelt  in  the  mountains, 
the  fields,  and  the  rivers.  This  is  what  Mari's 
great-grandma  had  believed,  and  was  she  not 
a  sensible  woman  ?  It  is  no  wonder,  there- 
fore, that  our  little  cousin  loved  to  think  that 
these  beings  were  still  real.  When  she  went 
to  sleep  at  night,  she  often  dreamed  of  the 
gnomes  who  live  far  down  in  the  earth,  or  the 
giants  who  once  dwelt  among  the  mountains. 

When  she  was  very  little  she  sometimes 
waked  up  from  such  dreams  with  a  shiver. 
"  O,  don't  let  the  cruel  giant  get  me,"  she 
would  cry.  Then  she  would  jump  out  of  her 
own  little  cot  into  the  big  bed  of  her  parents. 
She  felt  quite  safe  as  soon   as   her  mother's 


The  Farm  17 

loving  arms  held  her  tightly,  and  she  was 
sound  asleep  again  in  a  minute. 

That  big  bed  certainly  looked  strong  enough 
to  be  a  fortress  against  the  giants  or  any  other 
of  the  wonderful  creatures  of  fairy-world.  It 
stood  in  the  corner  of  the  living-room,  where 
Mari's  mother  worked  all  day,  and  where  the 
family  ate  and  sat.  It  was  so  high  that  even 
grown  people  did  not  get  into  it  without  climb- 
ing up  the  steps  at  one  side.  It  had  a  wooden 
top,  which  made  it  seem  like  a  little  house. 
It  was  not  as  long  as  bedsteads  in  other  coun- 
tries. No  grown  person  could  stretch  out  in 
it  to  his  full  length.  He  must  bend  his  knees, 
or  curl  himself  up  in  some  way,  for  he  cer- 
tainly could  not  push  his  feet  through  the 
heavy  wooden  foot-board. 

Mari's  people,  however,  never  thought  of 
its  being  uncomfortable.  All  Norwegian  bed- 
steads are  made  in  this  way,  so  they  became 
used  to  it  as  they  grew  up.     But  sometimes 


1 8    Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

English  travellers  had  stayed  at  the  farmhouse 
all  night  when  they  had  been  overtaken  by  a 
storm.  They  would  be  sure  to  get  up  in  the 
morning  complaining.     They  would  say  : 

"  O  yes,  this  country  of  Norway  is  very 
beautiful,  but  why  don't  you  have  beds  long 
enough  for  people  to  sleep  in  with  comfort." 

The  farm  where  Mari  lives  lies  in  a  narrow 
valley  half  a  mile  from  the  sea.  The  cold 
winter  winds  are  kept  off  by  the  mountain 
which  stands  behind  the  houses.  No  one  but 
Mari's  family  and  the  servants  who  work  on 
the  farm  live  here.  Yet  I  spoke  of  houses. 
This  is  because  the  little  girl's  home  is  made 
up  of  several  different  houses,  instead  of  one 
large  farmhouse,  such  as  one  sees  in  America. 

Mari's  father  thinks  that  two,  or  perhaps 
three,  rooms  are  quite  enough  to  build  under 
one  roof.  He  settled  here  when  he  was  a 
young  man.  Mari's  mother  came  here  to 
live  when   they  were  married.     At  that  time 


The  Farm  19 

there  was  but  one  house.  It  contained  the 
living-room  and  the  storeroom.  After  a  while 
another  house  was  built  close  by,  for  the  farm 
hands  to  sleep  in.  Still  another  little  building 
was  added  after  a  while  for  the  winter's  sup- 
plies, for  there  is  no  store  within  many  miles 
of  the  farm. 

Mari's  mother  never  says,  "  Come,  my 
child,  run  down  the  road  and  buy  me  five 
pounds  of  sugar,"  or,  "  Hurry,  dear,  go  and 
get  two  pounds  of  steak  for  dinner."  It 
would  be  useless  for  her  to  think  of  doing 
such  a  thing.  All  the  provisions  the  family 
may  need  must  be  obtained  in  large  quantities 
from  the  distant  city,  unless  they  are  raised 
here  on  the  farm. 

The  storehouse  was  built  very  carefully. 
It  was  raised  higher  than  the  other  buildings 
so  that  rats  and  other  wild  creatures  should 
have  hard  work  to  reach  the  supplies.  There 
is  not  a  great  deal  on  hand  now,  for  it  is  sum- 


20   Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

mer-time,  but  in  the  autumn  the  bins  will  be 
full  of  vegetables,  and  large  quantities  of  fish 
and  meats  will  hang  from  the  rafters.  There 
will  be  stores  of  butter  and  cheese  and  a  large 
supply  of  coffee,  for  Mari's  people  drink  it 
freely. 


CHAPTER   II. 

VISITORS 

"  Mother,  mother,  I  hear  the  sound  of 
wheels,"  cried  the  little  girl,  as  she  came  hur- 
rying into  the  house,  panting  for  breath.  The 
baby  was  such  a  big  load  it  is  a  wonder  she 
could  hurry  at  all. 

"  Could  you  see  what  is  coming  ? "  asked 
her  mother. 

"Yes,  there  are  two  carriages,  I  know,  for 
I  saw  a  cariole,  and  I  could  hear  another  gig, 
although  it  was  still  out  of  sight  round  the 
bend  of  the  road.  They  must  be  in  a  hurry, 
for  I  could  hear  the  driver  of  the  cariole  cluck- 
ing to  his  horse  to  make  him  go  faster." 

"Run  right  down  to  the  rye-field,  Mari, 
and  tell  your  father  to  send  Snorri  up  with 
the  horses.     Leave  the  baby  with  me." 

21 


22    Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

Mari  hurried  away,  while  her  mother  went 
out  into  the  yard  to  greet  her  visitors  who  had 
now  drawn  near. 

The  first  carriage  was  a  cariole,  as  Mari  had 
said.  It  was  a  sort  of  gig  with  very  long 
shafts.  It  had  a  seat  in  front  just  wide 
enough  to  hold  one  person,  with  a  small 
place  behind,  where  the  post-boy  sat.  A  lady 
rode  in  this  cariole  and  drove  the  sturdy  little 
horse. 

Behind  her  came  a  second  carriage,  which 
could  not  be  very  comfortable,  as  there  were 
no  springs  and  the  seat  was  directly  over  the 
axle.  Two  people  were  in  this,  also,  a  gentle- 
man and  the  driver. 

"We  are  in  great  haste  to  reach  the  next 
station  by  afternoon,"  the  gentleman  tried  to 
explain  to  the  farmer's  wife.  He  spoke  brok- 
enly, for  he  seemed  to  know  but  few  Nor- 
wegian words. 

"  He  must  be  an  American,"  Mari's  mother 


"  IT    WAS    A    SORT    OF    GIG    WITH    VERY    LONG   SHAFTS." 


Visitors  23 

said  to  herself.  "Those  people  always  seem 
to  be  in  a  hurry."  She  dropped  a  deep  curtsy 
to  the  lady,  who  seemed  to  be  the  gentleman's 
wife. 

"  Won't  you  come  into  the  house  while  you 
wait  for  the  carriage  ? "  she  asked.  The 
lady  smiled,  and  followed  her  into  the  living- 
room. 

"  What  a  lovely  big  fireplace  you  have !  " 
exclaimed  the  visitor,  as  she  sat  down.  "  And 
what  good  times  you  probably  have  here  in 
the  long  winter  evenings.  Indeed  they  must 
seem  long  when  the  daylight  only  lasts  two  or 
three  hours." 

Mari's  mother  smiled.  "Yes,  and  the 
summer  days  seem  long  now  that  there  are 
only  two  or  three  hours  of  darkness  in  the 
whole  twenty-four,"  she  answered.  "  At  least, 
they  must  seem  long  to  you  who  are  a 
stranger,"  she  went  on.  She  spoke  in  good 
English,  of  which  she  was  very  proud.     She 


24     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

had  learned  it  when  she  was  a  girl  in  school, 
and  was  already  teaching  Mari  to  use  it. 

"  Is  that  your  spinning-wheel  ? "  asked  the 
visitor,  as  she  looked  around  the  room.  "  Ex- 
cuse me  for  asking,  but  I  do  wish  I  could 
watch  you  spinning.  In  America  everything 
we  wear  is  made  in  the  mills  and  factories,  and 
a  spinning-wheel  is  not  a  common  sight  now- 
adays." 

"  I  make  all  the  clothing  for  my  family," 
answered  Mari's  mother.  "  It  is  so  strong 
it  lasts  nearly  a  lifetime.  Look  at  my  dress ; 
I  have  worn  it  every  working-day  for  many 
years,  and  it  is  still  as  good  as  new." 

"  Dear  me !  what  a  smart  woman  you  are. 
If  you  don't  mind,  I  should  like  to  examine 
the  goods.  I  suppose  that  is  what  people  call 
homespun.  And  I  suppose  the  wool  of  which 
it  was  made  came  from  your  own  sheep,  did 
it  not?" 

"  Yes,  indeed,  and  my  husband  raised  every 


Visitors  25 

one  of  the  flock  himself/'  was  the  answer.  "  I 
will  gladly  spin  some  of  the  wool  for  you  now. 
But  see !  the  carnages  are  waiting,  and  your 
husband  looks  impatient." 

"Then  I  must  not  keep  him  waiting,  for 
we  have  a  long  journey  before  us.  So  good- 
bye. Perhaps  we  may  stop  here  again  on  our 
way  back  from  the  north.  Thank  you  very 
much  for  your  kindness." 

The  lady  went  out,  and  Snorri  helped  her 
into  the  cariole  and  himself  jumped  up  behind, 
and  away  they  went.  The  lady's  husband  fol- 
lowed in  another  carriage  in  the  same  manner 
they  had  driven  into  the  yard.  The  ones  that 
had  brought  them  here  had  gone  away  as  soon 
as  the  travellers  stepped  out.  Their  drivers 
would  take  them  back  to  the  station  where 
they  belonged. 

cc  Mother,  why  is  our  house  a  posting- 
station  ? "  asked  Mari,  when  the  travellers 
had   gone.      "  I   think   it  is   a   great   bother. 


26   Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

No  matter  how  busy  father  and  the  men 
are,  they  must  stop  their  work  and  harness 
up  the  horses  to  carry  strangers  along  the 
road.  They  don't  get  money  for  it,  either, 
do  [they?" 

"That  is  the  way  your  father  pays  his 
taxes,"  her  mother  answered.  "You  know 
what  good  roads  we  have  in  our  country,  Mari. 
You  know,  too,  that  many  other  things  are 
done  by  the  government  to  make  this  country 
a  fine  one.  Of  course  every  one  must  share  in 
the  cost  of  these  things.  As  we  live  on  a  farm 
and  have  horses,  your  father  is  allowed  to  pay 
his  share  in  work.  That  is,  he  agrees  to  carry 
the  travellers  who  come  this  way  to  the  next 
station.  After  all,  it  isn't  very  much  bother," 
she  said,  thoughtfully.  "  But  come,  dear,  set 
the  table ;  it  is  near  dinner-time,  and  your 
father  will  soon  be  here." 

The  table  did  not  stand  in  the  middle  of 
the  room.     It  was  in  the  corner  nearest  the 


Visitors  27 

fireplace.  A  wide  bench  was  built  round  the 
two  sides  of  the  room  nearest  it,  so  that  most 
of  those  who  gathered  around  the  table  could 
sit  on  these  benches. 

Mari's  mother  soon  had  a  steaming  junket 
ready,  besides  a  dish  of  smoked  salmon, 
plenty  of  boiled  potatoes,  a  large,  dark-col- 
oured cheese  which  looked  like  soap,  and  last, 
but  not  least,  a  plate  was  piled  high  with 
flat-bread. 

"  May  father  have  the  cakes  I  made  ? " 
asked  Mari. 

"  Sure  enough,  little  daughter.  He  will  eat 
them  with  pleasure,  I  know." 

In  a  few  minutes  the  farmer  and  his  help- 
ers appeared.  All  gathered  around  the  table 
together. 

"  What  a  fine  junket  this  is  to-day,"  said 
Mari's  father,  as  his  wife  helped  him  to  another 
plateful. 

The  junket  was  made  of  milk,  barley,  and 


28    Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

potatoes,  and  was  a  dish  of  which  he  was  very 
fond. 

c(  Dear  me  !  how  good  the  flat-bread  is,  too. 
And  only  to  think  that  our  little  Mari  made  it 
all  herself,"  continued  the  farmer.  "  She  will 
soon  be  a  woman  at  this  rate." 

Mari's  rosy  cheeks  grew  redder  still  at  her 
father's  praise. 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  see  Gretel  back  again," 
said  the  little  girl's  mother,  after  a  while.  "  I 
miss  her  very  much,  though  Mari  is  a  good 
little  helper.  But  Gretel  is  having  a  good  time 
with  Henrik,  I'm  sure." 

Gretel  and  Henrik  had  gone  up  on  the 
mountain  to  the  summer-house,  where  the 
cows  were  pastured  during  the  two  warmest 
months  of  the  year.  Henrik  was  now  four- 
teen years  old,  and  his  father  felt  that  he  could 
be  trusted  to  care  for  the  cows  as  well  as  he 
could  do  it  himself;  while  Gretel  could  make 
good  cheese  and  butter,  although  she  was  only 


Visitors  29 

thirteen.  This  boy  and  girl  were  now  living 
together  all  alone  up  on  the  mountain-side, 
but  they  were  not  the  least  bit  lonely. 

Every  Saturday  afternoon  Henrik  brought 
down  the  butter  and  cheese  his  sister  had  made 
during  the  week.  He  had  so  many  stories  to 
tell  of  their  good  times,  that  Mari  would  say  : 

"  Oh,  dear !  Henrik,  I  wish  I  could  go 
back  with  you." 

"  I  wish  you  could,  little  sister,  but  mother 
must  not  be  left  alone,  you  know."  And 
Henrik  would  put  his  arms  around  her  and 
kiss  her  lovingly. 

"  Where  is  Ole  ? "  asked  the  farmer,  as  the 
family  finished  eating  their  dinner.  "He 
should  not  be  late  to  meals  and  give  you 
trouble,  good  wife." 

"  He  went  up  to  the  river  on  a  fishing  trip. 
I  told  him  I  should  not  scold  if  he  was  late 
this  time,"  said  his  mother.  "  I  was  glad  of 
the  thought  of  having  some  fresh  salmon." 


30  Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

"  Very  well,  then.  But  come,  my  men,  we 
must  get  back  to  the  field  now.  The  noon 
hour  has  passed."  And  the  farmer  led  the 
way  out  of  the  house. 

But  before  he  rose  from  the  table  little 
Mari  said : 

"  Thanks  for  the  food,  dear  father  and 
mother,"  while  she  went  first  to  one,  then 
the  other,  and  gave  each  of  them  a  loving 
kiss. 

Then  the  workmen  rose  and  went  in  turn 
to  the  farmer  and  his  wife  and  shook  hands,  to 
show  they,  too,  were  thankful. 

It  was  very  pleasant  and  cheerful  in  this 
farmer's  house,  you  can  plainly  see ;  and  it 
was  all  quite  natural  for  these  simple  country 
people  to  show  how  kindly  they  felt  for  each 
other. 

"  There  comes  Ole,  now,"  said  the  farmer's 
wife.  "  I  can  hear  his  call.  Run,  Mari,  and 
see  if  he  has  met  with  good  fortune." 


Visitors  31 

"  O,  mother,  mother,  see  what  I  have 
here,"  cried  Mari,  a  few  moments  afterward. 
"  Ole  has  a  fine  string  of  fish,  and  that  will 
please  you,  I  know.  But  do  look  at  this 
young  magpie.  It  was  snared  in  his  trap 
while  he  was  fishing.  He  says  I  may  have 
it  for  my  very  own.  May  I  keep  it, 
please  ? " 

"It  seems  as  though  you  had  enough  pets 
now,  Mari.  You  have  your  own  pony  and 
your  dog  Kyle.  But  I  hate  to  refuse  you,  my 
dear.  Yes,  you  may  have  it,  but  you  and  Ole 
must  keep  it  out  of  mischief.  Magpies  are 
sometimes  very  troublesome  birds,  for  they 
notice  shining  objects  and  carry  them  off"  if 
they  get  a  chance." 

Mari's  mother  now  turned  to  the  string  of 
trout  which  she  hastened  to  put  away  in  the 
storeroom.  Ole  had  cleaned  them  nicely  be- 
fore he  brought  them  home.  He  now  ate  his 
dinner  as  quickly  as  possible,  after  which  he 


32   Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

and  his  sister  went  out  into  the  yard  to  make 
a  cage  for  their  new  pet. 

"In  a  little  while  he  will  get  tame  so  he 
will  follow  us  around,"  said  Ole,  as  he  cut 
the  wooden  bars  for  the  cage.  "  Then  we 
shall  need  to  shut  him  up  only  when  we 
wish." 

"  Isn't  he  a  beauty,"  exclaimed  Mari,  as 
she  stroked  the  magpie.  "  Look,  Ole,  at  the 
green  and  purple  feathers  in  his  wings  and  tail. 
They  are  very  handsome  and  glossy." 

"  Be  careful,  Mari,  or  he  may  bite  you. 
That  hooked  bill  of  his  is  pretty  sharp,  if 
he  is  a  young  bird.  See  him  look  at  you 
with  his  bright  eyes.  They  say  that  mag- 
pies will  grow  fond  of  one  in  a  very  short 
time." 

"  Did  you  ever  see  a  magpie's  nest,  Ole? " 

"  Yes,  I  passed  one  this  morning  as  I 
went  through  the  woods.  It  was  way  back 
in  a  thick  bush.     I  crept  up  and  looked  in. 


Visitors  33 

The  mother  bird  was  away,  and  I  saw  five 
pretty  green  eggs  dotted  with  little  purple 
spots." 

"  What  did  you  do,  Ole  ?  I  hope  you  did 
not  touch  them." 

"  At  first,  I  thought  I  would,  Mari,  because, 
you  know,  those  pretty  eggs  will  sometime 
hatch  out,  and  the  five  magpies  will  fly  away 
to  harm  smaller  and  more  helpless  birds.  Be- 
sides, they  go  into  the  grain-fields  and  pick 
the  grain.  Father  isn't  very  fond  of  magpies, 
I  can  tell  you. 

"  But  after  thinking  for  a  moment  I  said  to 
myself,  fNo,  mother  magpie  sha'n't  be  made 
unhappy  to-day  by  coming  home  to  find  her 
nest  empty.'  Then  I  went  away,  and  ended 
my  morning's  sport  by  trapping  this  young 
fellow." 

Ole  kept  on  working  while  he  talked.  He 
did  his  work  so  cleverly  that  one  could  see 
he  was  quite  a  carpenter.     He  was  a  tall  boy 


34  Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

for  twelve  years,  and  looked  healthy  and 
happy. 

You  might  possibly  have  laughed  at  his 
clothes,  for  he  wore  a  pair  of  his  father's  old 
trousers,  and  they  were  gathered  in  at  the 
waist  to  keep  them  in  place.  They  must  have 
been  cut  off  at  the  knees  so  that  they  should 
not  be  too  long  for  the  boy.  That  was  the 
only  change  made.     His  mother  said  : 

"  There,  those  trousers  are  too  much  worn 
for  my  husband  to  use  any  longer.  They  will 
do  very  well  for  Ole  as  he  runs  about  on  the 
farm.  I  will  not  take  time  to  cut  them  any 
smaller.  On  holidays  the  boy  shall  wear  his 
fine  clothes,  of  course." 

It  is  no  wonder  the  good  woman  had  to  be 
careful  of  her  time,  for  she  not  only  spun, 
wove,  and  made  their  clothing,  but  she  also 
spun  the  yarn  and  knit  their  stockings.  Ole's 
stockings  are  often  patched  with  leather  to 
make    them    last    longer.       But   his   feet   are 


Visitors  35 

not  tender,  and  he  does  not  mind  it  in  the 
least. 

"  What  kind  of  a  nest  did  the  magpie 
have  ? "  asked  Mari,  as  Ole  finished  the  cage 
and  they  placed  the  bird  inside. 

"It  was  lined  with  wool  and  hair  and  had  a 
sort  of  roof  over  it.  The  opening  was  very- 
narrow;  I  really  don't  see  how  the  mother- 
bird  could  get  in  and  out." 

"  I  suppose  the  roof  is  to  protect  the  young 
birds  from  enemies,  don't  you,  Ole  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Mari ;  but  come,  let  us  go  and  find 
some  worms  for  our  bird.  He  must  be 
hungry." 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE    CHRISTENING 

"  O  mother,  I  have  something  to  tell  you 
I  have  just  been  down  to  the  village,  and  1 
heard  there  that  neighbour  Hans's  wife  has  a 
new  baby.  It  is  a  boy.  Every  one  says  he  is 
a  fine  little  fellow,"  said  Mari,  one  beautiful 
afternoon. 

"  Dear  me !  dear  me  !  that  is  fine  news, 
truly,"  said  her  mother.  "  I  must  make  her  a 
dish  of  my  best  porridge  and  take  it  to  her  in 
the  morning." 

"  Did  everybody  remember  you  when  I  was 
born,  mother  ? " 

"  Yes,  dear,  the  people  of  the  village  seemed 
to  vie  with  each  other  in  preparing  a  dish  of 
flodegrod.  It  did  taste  so  good  !  It  was  hard 
to  tell  whose  was  the  best.     You  must  learn 

36 


The  Christening  37 

how  to  make  this  cream  porridge  now,  Mari ; 
you  are  quite  old  enough.  You  will  never  be 
thought  a  good  housekeeper  if  you  cannot 
make  smooth  flodegrod." 

"  The  baby  is  to  be  christened  next  week. 
Everybody  will  be  there,  of  course,  mother." 

The  farm  was  only  half  a  mile  from  a  little 
fishing  village  on  the  shore  of  a  deep  bay. 
Such  a  long,  narrow  bay  is  called  a  fiord. 
There  are  many  fiords  in  Norway. 

There  were  only  about  a  dozen  cottages  in 
the  village,  but  in  their  midst  was  a  tiny  little 
church  and  a  small  building  used  as  the  school- 
house.  But  school  was  not  kept  there  all  the 
year  round.  Half  of  the  time  the  master 
taught  in  this  place,  and  the  rest  of  the  year  he 
spent  in  "another  little  village  a  few  miles  up 
the  coast.  Neither  of  them  was  large  enough 
to  pay  for  a  teacher  the  whole  year  round. 
The  children,  however,  were  glad  to  work 
hard  while  he  was  among  them.     They  loved 


38    Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

their  teacher  and  their  school,  and  they  learned 
quickly. 

Every  one  in  the  place  was  busy  now,  get- 
ting ready  for  the  christening.  At  last  came 
the  great  day,  as  bright  and  sunny  a  one  as 
could  be  wished. 

All  the  work  on  the  farm  was  stopped  and 
every  one  in  the  family  was  dressed  in  his  best. 
Mari  had  a  fresh  white  linen  kerchief  tied 
under  her  chin,  and  also  a  finely  starched 
apron.  Her  plump  little  arms  were  bare. 
Her  stomacher  was  worked  with  bright  beads 
on  scarlet  cloth.  She  had  embroidered  it  all 
herself  and  she  could  not  help  being  proud 
of  it. 

But  perhaps  you  do  not  know  what  a 
stomacher  is.  It  is  a  piece  of  cloth  worn  as  an 
ornament  on  the  waist  and  over  the  stomach. 
Mari's  mother  wore  one  also,  but  hers  was 
sparkling  with  silver  trimmings  that  had  be- 
longed to  her  great-grandmother. 


The  Christening  39 

How  fine  the  father  looked  in  his  short  coat 
and  knee-breeches.  He  wore  a  bright  red 
vest,  over  which  hung  his  long  light  beard. 

But  Mari's  mother  was  the  prettiest  sight  of 
all.  Her  muslin  apron  was  trimmed  with 
three  rows  of  lovely  open-work.  Her  scarlet 
waist  was  finished  with  bands  of  black  velvet, 
with  the  beautiful  stomacher  in  front  of  that. 
She  had  loose  white  linen  sleeves,  and  such  an 
odd  cap.  You  never  saw  one  like  it,  I  am 
sure.  It  was  made  of  crimped  white  muslin 
with  a  wide  rim  over  the  forehead,  with  a 
narrow  band  beneath  that  hid  her  hair.  The 
corners  fell  down  behind  nearly  to  the  waist. 

Her  silver  ornaments  must  also  be  men- 
tioned. They  were  really  beautiful,  and  were 
hundreds  of  years  old. 

Ole  looked  fine,  too,  in  a  suit  much  like 
his  father's  and  a  little  round  cap,  fitting  tightly 
to  his  head.  You  would  scarcely  have  known 
the  family  in  their  holiday  dress. 


4-0     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

They  stepped  off  gaily,  and  soon  reached 
the  village.  They  arrived  at  the  church  just 
as  the  christening  party  reached  it. 

"  Do  look  at  the  dear  baby,  Ole,"  said 
Mari.     "Isn't  he  lovely?" 

The  nurse  was  carrying  him.  He  was  so 
swaddled  in  his  fine  clothes  that  you  would 
have  almost  thought  he  was  an  Indian  pap- 
poose.  Only  his  face  could  be  seen.  The 
swaddling  bands  were  of  many  colours,  —  red, 
green,  and  white,  and  there  was  a  large  white 
satin  bow,  of  course.  Every  Norse  baby 
wears  such  a  bow  to  its  christening. 

And  now  the  flock  of  people  followed  the 
minister  into  the  little  church.  They  passed 
up  to  the  front  and  gathered  around  the  altar. 

"  The  baby  behaves  finely,  doesn't  he  ? " 
whispered  Ole.  "  I  am  real  proud  of  him 
because  he  is  to  have  the  same  name  as  my- 
self. Did  you  hear  the  minister  say  Ole, 
Mari  ? " 


THE    CHRISTENING. 


The  Christening  41 

"Yes,  but  look  now.  The  baby's  father 
and  mother  and  his  godparents  are  all  going 
up  behind  the  altar.     What  is  that  for?" 

"  They  are  laying  presents  there  for  the  min- 
ister. Of  course  they  want  to  thank  him  for 
the  christening.  I  declare,  Mari,  our  baby 
was  christened  only  last  year,  and  you  have 
forgotten  what  people  do  at  such  times." 

"  I  was  so  excited  then,  Ole,  I  don't  believe 
I  noticed  it.  But  come,  everybody  is  going 
out  of  the  church.  Now  we  shall  have  the 
best  time,  for  you  know  we  are  invited  to  the 
party." 

The  building  was  soon  empty,  and  all  the 
people  started  gaily  for  the  home  of  the  new 
baby.  The  minister  went  with  them,  of 
course.  He  looked  very  dignified  in  his  long 
black  gown,  with  a  great  white  ruff  about  his 
neck.  He  loved  his  people,  and  took  part  in 
all  their  merry-makings.  Ole  and  Mari  were 
very  fond  of  him.     They  ran  to  his  side  as 


42     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

soon  as  they  got  outdoors.  Ole  took  one 
hand  and  Mari  the  other. 

It  was  only  a  few  steps  to  the  little  home 
of  the  fisherman.  Everything  had  been  made 
ready  for  the  company.  The  table  was  spread 
with  the  good  things  that  the  Norse  people 
love  best. 

In  the  centre  of  the  table  stood  the  old 
silver  bowl  from  which  every  one  must  drink 
to  the  health  of  the  new  baby.  This  bowl  was 
the  most  precious  thing  in  the  simple  home. 
It  had  not  been  used  before  since  the  parents 
of  the  baby  came  here  and  held  their  wedding- 
feast. 

There  is  much  eating,  and  frequent  hand- 
shaking. It  seemed  as  though  the  company 
could  only  show  how  loving  they  felt  toward 
one  another  by  the  hearty  shakes  which  they 
gave  so  often. 

When  every  one  had  eaten  so  much  that 
he  could  hold  no  more  with  comfort,  the  table 


The  Christening  43 

was  quickly  cleared,  and  a  young  man  brought 
out  a  fiddle  from  the  corner  of  the  room. 

"  Now  for  some  of  our  Norse  songs,"  cried 
one  of  the  company. 

"  Good,  good,"  cried  all,  and  soon  the  room 
was  filled  with  lively  music.  The  new  baby 
behaved  very  well,  and  went  to  sleep  in  the 
midst  of  it. 

But  Mari's  baby  brother,  who  had  come  to 
the  party  with  the  rest  of  the  family,  was  hav- 
ing too  good  a  time  to  shut  his  eyes  for  a  mo- 
ment. It  was  not  until  the  dancing  began 
that  his  little  head  commenced  to  nod  and  his 
eyes  could  keep  open  no  longer. 

The  older  folk  and  children  sat  against  the 
wall  and  talked  together  while  the  younger 
people  waltzed  around  the  room. 

"  Gustav,  we  want  to  see  you  and  Frigga  in 
the  Spring  Dance,"  said  one  of  the  party  after 
a  while. 

"  O  yes,  Gustav,   you   can  both  do  it   so 


44     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

well,"  cried  another.  "  We  must  see  it  before 
we  go  home." 

Gustav  stepped  out  into  the  middle  of  the 
room  and  was  followed  by  the  young  girl  whom 
he  was  soon  to  marry.  Her  cheeks  grew  rosy 
as  every  one  looked  at  her.  She  was  a  pretty 
girl,  and  her  long,  fair  braids  reached  way 
below  her  waist. 

And  now  the  fiddler  started  up  again  with  a 
lively  tune.  Who  could  keep  still  now  ? 
Surely  Gustav  could  not.  He  took  hold  of 
one  of  Frigga's  hands,  and  away  they  spun 
around  the  room.  But  it  was  not  a  simple 
waltz  such  as  you  have  seen.  The  young  girl 
held  her  other  hand  above  her  head  and 
showed  her  grace  as  she  kept  moving  around 
Gustav ;  she  kept  perfect  time  and  step  as  she 
did  so. 

Other  odd  dances  followed  the  Spring 
Dance.  Ole's  and  Mari's  eyes  were  wide  open 
with  delight  as  they  watched  their  older  friends. 


The  Christening  45 

Whenever  one  of  the  dances  came  to  an  end, 
there  was  a  general  shaking  of  hands  in  which 
the  children  joined  with  a  right  good  will. 

The  time  to  go  home  came  all  too  soon. 
But  as  it  was  near  the  middle  of  summer,  it 
was  not  dark  even  now  at  ten  o'clock  in  the 
evening. 

"  Gud  nag,  gud  nag,"  cried  every  one,  after 
they  had  drunk  again  to  the  health  of  the  baby 
and  his  proud  parents,  and  the  hands  of  all 
had  been  heartily  shaken  once  more. 


CHAPTER   IV. 


THE    LOST    PIN 


"  Mari,  Ole,  come  here  to  me  at  once," 
called  their  mother. 

It  was  the  morning  after  the  christening. 
The  two  children  were  sitting  with  their  pet 
magpie  under  a  tree  near  the  house. 

"  What  can  be  the  matter,  mother  speaks 
so  quickly  ? "  whispered  Ole,  as  he  and  his 
sister  hurried  to  obey. 

"  Have  you  seen  the  silver  brooch  I  wore 
at  my  throat  yesterday  ? "  said  their  mother, 
as  soon  as  they  came  into  the  house. 

The  good  woman  seemed  nervous.      Her 

words  came  quickly,  which  was  not  a  common 

thing,  for  she  was  a  slow  speaker,  like  other 

Norse  people. 

"Why,   no,  mother,  of  course    not,"    said 
46 


The  Lost  Pin  47 

Mari.  "  Didn't  you  put  it  away  in  the  box 
where  you  always  keep  it  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  my  child,  but  I  did  not  lock 
the  box  as  usual.  I  found  it  open  just  now. 
Can  it  be  possible  that  a  thief  has  been  here  ? 
It  does  not  seem  probable.  Besides,  my  other 
ornaments  are  there  safe.  A  thief  would  have 
taken  all." 

"  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  I  could  guess  who 
took  the  brooch,  mother,"  said  Ole.  "  It's 
the  magpie.  You  know  you  said  magpies  like 
all  kinds  of  shining  objects." 

"You  handsome  little  mischief,  have  you 
done  it  ? "  said  the  boy,  as  he  looked  at  his 
pet. 

The  magpie  had  kept  his  seat  on  Ole's 
shoulder  when  the  children  came  into  the 
house.  He  looked  from  him  to  the  boy's 
mother  with  bright  eyes,  as  much  as  to  say, 
"  I  could  tell  all  about  it,  if  I  wished." 

"  It  seems  as  though  the  bird  understands 


48     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

what  we  are  talking  about,  but  of  course  he 
doesn't.  Still,  I  believe  he  has  done  some- 
thing with  your  brooch,  mother,"  said  Mari. 

"It  may  be  so,  indeed,  children.  The  box 
was  possibly  left  open,  although  I  am  gener- 
ally so  careful.  If  that  is  so,  Ole  and  Mari, 
you  must  find  it.  Unless  you  are  able  to  do 
so,  you  cannot  keep  your  pet  any  longer." 

You  may  be  sure  the  children  were  anxious 
to  find  the  brooch  now.  All  that  day  they 
searched  in  every  nook  and  corner  of  the 
house  and  yard. 

"You  know,  we  let  him  fly  around  for  a 
long  time  this  morning,"  said  Ole,  when  night 
came  and  still  the  brooch  could  not  be  found. 
"  If  it  was  carried  up  into  some  tree,  we  may 
never  see  it  again." 

Ole  had  crawled  out  upon  the  limbs  of  all 
the  trees  near  the  house,  and  his  legs  were 
pretty  tired. 

"  You  can't  do  any  more  to-night,  children," 


The  Lost  Pin  49 

said  the  farmer,  when  supper  was  over  and  the 
family  were  gathered  on  the  porch  to  talk,  over 
the  trouble.  "  Go  to  bed,  and  do  not  fret. 
In  the  morning,  let  the  magpie  out  of  the 
cage,  and  allow  him  to  go  where  he  pleases. 
Watch  him,  and  perhaps  you  will  find  he  has 
some  hiding-place  where  he  stores  his  treas- 
ares." 

Those  were  wise  words.  The  next  morn- 
ing the  children  did  as  their  father  had  directed, 
and  the  magpie  was  set  free.  Five  minutes 
afterward  he  flew  out  of  the  house,  and  away 
he  went  toward  the  barn. 

Now  it  happened  that  a  pole  stretched  out 
from  under  the  low  roof  of  this  building.  In 
winter-time  a  bundle  of  grain  was  fastened  to 
this  pole  from  time  to  time.  It  was  placed 
there  to  give  food  to  the  hungry  birds  that 
came  that  way.  They  might  starve  during 
freezing  weather,  if  kind  people  did  not  think 
of  them. 


50     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

A  bunch  of  the  old  straw  was  still  fastened 
to  the  pole.  The  magpie  flew  to  it,  and 
alighted. 

"  The  brooch  may  be  stowed  away  in  that 
straw,"  said  Ole.  "  I'll  get  a  ladder  and  see, 
anyway." 

A  moment  after,  the  boy  was  shouting  in 
delight. 

"  I  have  it,  I  have  it,  Mari.  How  glad 
mother  will  be.  O,  you  naughty  magpie. 
We  will  be  careful  that  you  don't  get  any 
more  brooches  of  my  great-grandmother's." 

Delighted  indeed  was  the  mother  when  they 
came  in  with  the  lost  brooch. 

"  You  may  go  down  to  the  shore,  and  spend 
the  afternoon,"  she  said.  "You  can  have  a 
fine  time  with  your  playmates  in  the  village." 

A  half-hour  later  Ole  and  Mari  were  play- 
ing barefooted  on  the  edge  of  the  bay,  or  fiord, 
as,  you  remember,  Mari  calls  it.  But  there 
was  no  beach  of  smooth  sand  here,  for  rocks 


The  Lost  Pin  51 

and  ledges  covered  the  shore.  There  was 
only  one  little  nook  where  it  was  easy  for 
boats  to  land. 

The  village  was  built  at  the  head  of  this 
narrow  bay,  as  it  reached  far  into  the  land.  It 
was  a  long  sail  out  to  the  open  ocean.  Mari 
had  never  yet  seen  it,  although  she  had  lived 
so  near  the  water  all  her  life. 

It  was  a  wonderful  sight  that  the  children 
looked  upon  this  afternoon.  Great  cliffs  rose 
high  up  from  the  water  on  each  side  of  the 
bay.  They  were  so  straight  and  tall,  they 
seemed  to  join  it  to  the  sky  above. 

A  waterfall  came  rushing  down  from  the  top 
of  one  of  these  cliffs.  It  made  a  whirlpool 
in  the  spot  where  it  fell  into  the  bay.  But 
everywhere  else  the  water  was  very  quiet.  It 
was  so  still,  that  as  you  looked  up  to  the  steep 
mountains  on  each  side,  it  would  have  made 
you  almost  fearful,  it  seemed  so  lonely  and 
apart  from  the  rest  of  the  world. 


52     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

"  I  climbed  way  up  that  cliff  by  the  water- 
fall last  spring,"  Ole  told  his  sister,  as  the 
children  sat  down  upon  a  rock  to  rest. 

"  Weren't  you  afraid  ? "  she  asked,  as  she 
looked  at  him  proudly.  Then  she  added, 
quickly,  "  Of  course  you  weren't.  I  never 
knew  you  to  be  afraid  of  anything  in  your  life. 
But  why  did  you  do  it  ?  " 

"  I  was  after  down  for  mother's  cloak.  The 
eider-ducks  build  their  nests  in  the  crannies 
of  the  rocks.  I  found  three  of  them  that  day, 
I  remember.  It  seemed  almost  too  bad  to 
rob  the  nests,  but  still  you  know  there  is 
nothing  so  soft  and  warm  as  the  down.  And 
I  shall  be  proud  when  mother  has  enough  to 
line  her  cloak  and  finish  it." 

"  Those  ducks  have  a  queer  habit  of  pluck- 
ing the  softest  feathers  from  their  own  breasts 
to  line  their  nests.  Don't  you  think  so, 
Ole?" 

"  Yes,  birds  are  a  great  deal  nicer  than  we 


The  Lost  Pin  53 

are  apt  to  think.  You  know  the  mother-bird 
covers  the  eggs  with  this  down  before  she  flies 
away  for  food.  She  seems  to  understand  that 
they  must  be  kept  warm,  and  the  father-duck 
doesn't  help  her  by  bringing  her  food  or 
taking  her  place  while  she  is  away.  She 
has  all  the  care  on  her  own  shoulders,  poor 
thing. 

"  If  her  nest  is  robbed  of  the  down,  she  will 
pluck  more  feathers  from  her  breast  and  line 
it  again.  If  it  happens  the  third  time,  she 
flies  to  her  mate  and  takes  enough  from  him 
to  fill  their  place.  But  after  that  her  patience 
is  worn  out,  she  goes  away  and  seeks  another 
place  in  which  she  can  build  a  new  nest  undis- 
turbed." 

"  She  certainly  is  a  wise  little  creature,  for 
she  wouldn't  be  warm  enough  if  she  robbed 
herself  too  much,"  said  Mari.  "  Mother  has 
been  to  the  city  of  Bergen,  and  she  says  cloaks 
lined  with  eider-down  are  sold  in  the  stores 


54     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

there,  and  that  they  are  worth  a  great  deal 
of  money." 

"  Of  course,  Mari.  Some  men  make  a 
business  of  robbing  the  nests  of  eider-ducks. 
It  must  be  hard  work,  too.  But  see,  there 
comes  the  postman.     Let's  go  to  meet  him." 

The  children  looked  down  the  bay,  and 
what  do  you  think  they  saw  ? 

At  first  it  seemed  as  though  a  pine-tree 
standing  up  on  the  water  were  sailing  straight 
toward  them.  But  no  !  one  could  see  as  it 
came  nearer  that  the  tree  was  fastened  into  an 
odd  little  boat  with  a  high  curved  bow.  The 
tree  must  be  taking  the  place  of  a  sail,  for  the 
man  inside  was  not  rowing,  yet  the  boat  came 
steadily  onward. 

"  Is  it  rough  outside  ? "  asked  Ole,  as  the 
boat  drew  near. 

"  Yes,  the  wind  was  blowing  so  hard  I  did 
not  dare  to  put  up  the  sail.  But  right  in  here 
it  is  quiet  and  calm  enough  to  suit  any  one." 


The  Lost  Pin  55 

When  the  postman  had  carried  his  letters 
up  to  the  office,  in  the  leading  house  in  the 
village,  he  came  back  to  the  shore  and  sat 
down  for  a  few  moments'  talk  with  the 
children. 

"  This  is  a  wonderful  country  of  ours,"  he 
said,  as  he  looked  at  the  shadows  of  the  great 
mountains  in  the  water.  "And  we  who  live 
here  belong  to  a  noble  and  a  mighty  race. 
Never  forget  that,  Mari,  will  you,  my 
child?" 

"  O  no,  Olaf,  I  love  to  think  of  the  grand 
old  times  when  the  Vikings  sailed  out  of  these 
bays  and  travelled  all  over  the  world.  They 
were  the  ones  who  discovered  America,  weren't 
they?  Although  I  have  heard  it  said  that 
the  honour  is  given  now  to  Columbus,  the 
Italian." 

"  Hundreds  of  years  before  Columbus  lived, 
Mari,  our  great  seamen  crossed  the  ocean. 
Many   of  our   people   went   with    them   and 


56     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

settled  in  Iceland.  But  they  did  not  forget 
their  native  land  and  the  wonderful  stories 
that  had  been  handed  down  for  centuries  from 
father  to  son. 

"  At  last  a  wise  man  said,  c  I  will  gather 
together  these  stories  of  the  Norse  people. 
I  will  write  them  down,  and  our  children  shall 
have  them  for  ever.'  In  this  way  the  f  Eddas ' 
came  to  be  written.  They  are  dearer  to  us 
now  than  any  other  books  except  the  Bible. 
Is  it  not  so,  children  ?  " 

"Yes,  yes,  Olaf,"  cried  Mari  and  Ole 
together. 

And  Mari  added,  "  We  are  so  happy  when 
father  reads  to  us  from  the  '  Eddas.'  I  hardly 
know  what  story  I  like  best." 

"  I  have  sometimes  heard  strangers  in  the 
land  speak  about  our  boats,"  Olaf  went  on. 
"  They  call  them  old-fashioned  and  say  they 
remind  them  of  the  ships  the  Vikings  sailed  in 
a   thousand  years  ago,  they  have  such  high 


The  Lost  Pin  57 

curved  prows  and  are  so  broad.  But  what  do 
we  care  if  they  do  call  them  old-fashioned  ? 
We  like  it,  children,  for  the  old  ways  were 
good  ways." 

"  I  wish  I  had  lived  in  the  time  of  the 
Vikings,"  said  Ole.  "  I  should  like  to  have 
gone  with  them  on  their  daring  voyages.  But 
why  were  they  better  sailors  than  any  other 
people  at  that  time,  Olaf  ?  " 

"In  the  first  place,  they  were  strong  and 
brave.  They  loved  the  sea  and  spent  their 
lives  upon  it.  They  trained  themselves  from 
boyhood  to  bear  cold  and  hardships.  And, 
besides  all  these  things,  these  deep  bays 
were  good  places  for  sailors  to  learn  their 
craft. 

"  But  I  have  stayed  here  longer  than  I 
thought ;  I  must  go  home.  This  was  the  last 
village  where  I  had  to  deliver  letters  or  I  could 
not  have  stopped  with  you  so  long.  I  will  try 
sailing  back,  but  if  I  find  the  wind  still  strong 


58     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

when  I  get  outside  the  fiord,  I  can  easily  take 
the  sail  down.     Good-bye." 

The  postman  was  soon  far  down  the  bay. 
He  passed  several  fishermen  in  their  boats  just 
coming  back  from  their  day's  catch.  Ole  and 
Mari  waited  till  they  came  in. 

"What  luck,  what  luck?"  cried  the  chil- 
dren. 

"  I  have  had  such  a  good  haul,"  said  Gus- 
tav,  who  was  the  first  to  touch  the  shore,  "  that 
here  is  a  fine  large  haddock  to  take  home  to 
your  mother,  Ole." 

"  Many  thanks,  Gustav,  my  mother  will  be 
much  pleased,"  answered  the  boy,  as  he  re- 
ceived the  gift.  Then  the  two  children 
trudged  homeward,  clasping  hands  and  singing 
one  of  the  songs  they  had  learned  at  school. 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE    BIRTHDAY 


"  Ten  years  old,  my  daughter.  Do  you 
believe  you  have  grown  any  taller  since  last 
night  ?  "  said  Mari's  mother,  when  she  called 
her  that  morning. 

"  It  seems  so,  anyway,"  answered  the  little 
girl,  as  she  watched  her  mother  making  the 
birthday  cake. 

"  Bring  the  citron  and  currants  from  the 
storeroom,  Mari.  I  have  sugar  enough,  I 
think.  This  must  be  a  beautiful  cake  for  my 
daughter.  The  frosting  shall  be  thick.  Here 
comes  Ole  now  with  the  flowers." 

Ole's  arms  were  full.  "  Do  you  think  I 
have  enough  to  decorate  your  cake,  Mari  ? " 
He  laughed  as  he  spoke. 

59 


60     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

"  We  can't  use  half  of  them,  of  course. 
Look  at  the  quantity  of  fruit  mother  is  using. 
There !  see  how  yellow  the  dough  looks  since 
she  put  in  the  saffron.  Won't  it  be  lovely 
when  it  is  done  ?  " 

"  Come,  Ole,  get  to  work  on  that  tub  you 
are  making  for  me.  And,  Mari,  take  your 
knitting  and  go  out  on  the  porch.  I  wish  to 
be  quiet  while  I  watch  the  baking  of  the  cake. 
There  will  be  fun  enough  for  you  this  after- 
noon." 

Mari's  mother  had  promised  her  a  coffee 
party  in  honour  of  her  birthday.  Soon  after 
dinner  the  children  began  to  arrive.  They 
were  dressed  in  their  best  and  looked  very 
happy,  although  the  white  kerchiefs  tied 
around  the  rosy  faces  of  the  girls  made  them 
appear  like  little  old  women. 

There  was  plenty  of  coffee  to  drink,  for  the 
children  of  the  North  are  as  fond  of  it  as  the 
older  people.     Then  there  was  the  magnificent 


The  Birthday  61 

birthday  cake,  rich  in  the  fruits  and  sugar,  and 
trimmed  with  the  flowers  Ole  had  gathered  in 
the  morning.  Of  course,  there  were  piles  of 
flat-bread  on  the  table,  besides  other  things 
of  which  the  children  were  fond. 

Many  games  were  played  outdoors  in  the 
sunshine.  Mulberry-bush  was  the  favourite, 
and  it  was  played  over  and  over  again. 

"  I  shall  never  forget  my  tenth  birthday," 
said  Mari,  that  night,  after  her  little  friends 
had  gone  home.  "  I  have  had  a  lovely  time, 
mother,  and  you  were  so  good  to  let  me  have 
the  party." 

"  You  can  repay  me  by  being  more  diligent 
in  all  your  work  the  coming  year,  my  child. 
Learn  to  be  more  careful  in  your  knitting  and 
spinning.  Always  be  ready,  with  a  cheerful 
face,  to  help  me  in  the  churning,  and  I  shall 
think  you  are  growing  to  be  a  noble  woman." 

Our  little  cousin  certainly  had  many  duties. 
Her  hands  were  seldom  idle  during  the  long 


62     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

winter  afternoons  and  evenings,  for  there  were 
stockings  to  knit  for  Ole  and  herself,  scarfs  to 
crochet,  wool  to  be  spun  and  woven,  besides 
many  other  things  which  Norse  girls  need  to 
learn  if  they  are  to  grow  up  to  be  good  house- 
keepers. 

And  Ole  had  much  to  do,  also.  In  sum- 
mer there  was  plenty  of  work  in  the  garden, 
besides  fishing  and  shooting  the  wild  ducks. 
During  the  winter  time  he  must  make  many 
useful  things  at  his  carpenter's  bench.  His 
father  was  his  teacher  in  this  kind  of  work. 
Why,  he  had  made  every  piece  of  furniture  in 
the  house ;  and  although  it  was  not  beautiful, 
it  was  well  made  and  strong. 

"  I  love  to  carve,"  Ole  once  said  to  his 
sister.  "  I  wish  it  were  the  fashion  to  decorate 
our  buildings  as  the  people  of  Thelemarken 
do.  I  have  seen  pictures  of  their  storehouses. 
They  are  just  beautiful,  Mari.  The  men 
carve  with  their  knives  all  sorts  of  figures  on 


CARVED  HOUSES  AT  THELEMARKEN, 


The  Birthday  63 

the  outside.     The  side  posts  of  the  porches 
are  fairly  covered  with  lovely  patterns." 

"The  people  there  don't  dress  as  we  do, 
either,"  answered  Mari.  "  Even  the  farmers 
wear  the  same  clothes  at  work  as  on  the  holi- 
days. I  should  think  it  would  be  hard  to 
keep  clean  their  white  jackets  all  trimmed  with' 
silver  buttons.  The  women  there  sometimes 
make  their  aprons  out  of  silk  handkerchiefs. 
And  they  wear  their  silver  belts  and  brooches 
every  day.  I  should  like  to  go  there  and  see 
them.  Just  think,  Ole,  I've  never  been 
away  from  this  place  in  my  life ! " 

"  Never  mind,  little  sister.  You  and  I  will 
travel  some  day  and  go  all  over  our  country. 
We  will  even  go  to  the  North  Cape  and  see 
the  sun  set  at  midnight  and  then  rise  a  mo- 
ment afterward.  We  can  almost  do  that  here 
on  midsummer  nights,  but  not  quite.  You 
know  people  from  all  over  the  world  travel  to 
the  North  Cape,  Mari." 


64     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

"What  else  do  they  see  there  besides  the 
midnight  sunset  and  sunrise  ?  " 

"  Our  friend  Ernst,  over  in  the  village,  went 
there  once.  He  belonged  to  the  crew  of  a 
ship  that  carries  people  there  every  summer. 
He  says  it  is  a  high  mass  of  rocks,  and  it  is 
hard  to  climb.  When  you  reach  the  top,  you 
can  get  a  good  view  of  the  Arctic  Ocean, 
but  there  is  nothing  to  see  but  the  dreary 
water;  no  land  nor  ship  in  sight.  That  is, 
of  course,  as  you  look  toward  the  north.  On 
one  side  of  the  cape  there  is  a  small  glacier, 
but  those  can  be  seen  in  many  other  parts  of 
the  country.  One  doesn't  need  to  go  to  the 
North  Cape  to  look  at  a  glacier." 

"  Our  teacher  told  me,  Ole,  that  a  long  time 
ago  this  whole  country  was  covered  with  ice. 
Of  course,  there  were  no  people  then.  But 
after  a  while  the  land  became  warmer  and  the 
ice  went  away.  Here  and  there,  the  ice-rivers, 
or  glaciers,   were  left  among  the  mountains, 


The  Birthday  65 

and  they   have   stayed    there   ever   since.      I 
don't  see  why." 

"  Of  course,  it's  terribly  cold  above  us, 
Mari,  up  among  the  mountains.  The  snow 
falls  and  changes  into  ice.  It  slides  slowly 
down  into  the  valleys  and  begins  to  melt,  but 
there  is  always  plenty  of  ice  above.  People 
like  to  come  to  our  country  to  see  the  glaciers 
as  well  as  the  other  wonderful  sights.  I  de- 
clare, I'm  getting  sleepy  and  I  am  going  to 
bed.     Good  night,  little  sister." 


CHAPTER  VI. 


THE    WEDDING 


"  There  they  are.  They  are  just  rounding 
the  point,"  exclaimed  Mari. 

She  was  standing  on  the  shore  and  looking 
anxiously  down  the  bay.  She  was  not  alone, 
by  any  means,  for  every  one  of  the  village  was 
there  with  her.  Why  were  they  all  dressed 
so  finely  ?  Why  were  they  all  looking  in  one 
direction  ?  And  why  was  the  church  door 
standing  open  ?  It  was  not  Sunday,  and  it  was 
the  time  when  every  one  was  usually  at  work. 

Gustav  and  Frigga,  who  lived  farther  up  the 
coast,  you  remember,  were  to  be  married. 
There  was  no  church  in  Frigga's  village,  so 
the  wedding  party  must  come  here. 

For  what  would  a  wedding  be  if  it  were  not 

66 


The  Wedding  67 

held  in  a  church  ?  Half  of  the  beauty  would 
be  missing. 

Ah !  here  come  the  boats.  The  first  one, 
of  course,  contains  the  fair  bride  and  her  lover. 
They  sit  on  a  raised  seat,  with  the  bridesmaid 
and  best  man  near  them. 

The  bride  looks  quite  charming  with  the 
high  silver  crown  on  her  fair  head.  It  seems 
as  though  a  queen  and  her  royal  party  were 
drawing  near.  The  boat  is  trimmed  with 
flowers,  and  the  rowers  pull  with  a  will. 

Two  other  boats  follow  close  behind,  con- 
taining the  dearest  friends  of  the  bride  and 
groom.  As  they  draw  near,  the  people  on 
the  shore  hasten  to  greet  them  with  a  rousing 
welcome. 

And  now  the  procession  is  formed  and 
starts  out  toward  the  church.  First  comes 
the  fiddler  with  his  violin  under  his  arm« 
He  is  followed  by  a  man  bearing  a  large  silver 
tankard.     The   health  of  the  newly  married 


68     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

pair  will  be  drunk  from  this  many  times  be- 
fore the  festival  is  over.  Next  comes  the  best 
man,  with  Gustav  and  Frigga  close  behind ; 
after  whom  follow  the  fathers,  mothers,  sisters, 
and  brothers  of  the  couple.  Last,  come  the 
other  relatives  and  friends.  All  are  laughing 
and  joking,  and  are  bright  with  the  pretty- 
colours  of  their  holiday  clothes. 

Now  they  enter  the  little  church  and  pass 
down  the  aisles  strewn  with  juniper-tips.  The 
air  is  very  sweet  with  the  odour  of  the  freshly 
cut  sprigs.  The  minister  is  at  the  altar  to 
meet  them.  He  is  dressed  as  usual  in  his 
long  black  gown  with  the  great  white  ruff 
around  his  neck. 

But  the  bride !  How  lovely  she  looks  as 
she  stands  with  bent  head,  with  the  silver 
crown  resting  on  her  fair  hair.  A  heavy  silver 
chain  is  around  her  neck,  and  she  sparkles 
with  rings,  and  brooches,  and  other  ornaments 
without  number.     Her  stomacher  is  covered 


The  Wedding  69 

with  silver  embroidery.  Her  apron  is  of  the 
finest  muslin,  and  is  also  embroidered  beauti- 
fully. 

The  little  church  was  so  full  that  Ole  and 
Mari  were  crowded  near  the  door  with  the 
other  children.  But  they  could  see  everything 
that  was  going  on. 

"  Isn't  she  beautiful  ?  "  whispered  Mari,  to 
a  little  girl  behind  her.  "  I  don't  believe  our 
queen  in  her  own  palace  can  look  grander  than 
she." 

When  the  service  was  over,  the  wedding 
party  left  the  church  and  turned  toward  the 
shore.  Was  the  good  time  over  now,  do  you 
think?  By  no  means,  for  a  whole  week's 
merriment  had  only  begun. 

The  bridal  party  seated  themselves  in  the 
boat  in  which  they  had  arrived.  The  other 
boats  were  quickly  filled ;  the  fiddler  began  to 
play  a  lively  air ;  the  rowers  pulled  with  long, 
steady  strokes,  and  as  they  moved  out  over 


70     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

the  clear,  sunlit  waters,  one  of  the  party  began 
to  sing.  Others  joined  in  the  song  until  the 
air  seemed  filled  with  music. 

Ole  and  Mari  stood  on  the  shore  together 
with  the  others  who  had  not  gone  with  the 
young  couple  to  their  new  home. 

"  Gustav  has  made  a  lovely  new  house  for 
Frigga,"  Ole  told  his  sister.  "  I  sailed  over 
there  last  week  with  Olaf,  and  it  was  just  done. 
The  last  piece  of  furniture  was  also  finished. 
I  wish  we  were  going  there  to-day ;  what  fun 
everybody  will  have,  feasting  and  dancing." 

"  Never  mind,  Ole,  we  shall  be  grown  up 
before  many  years.  And  then  we  shall  be 
invited  to  the  wedding-parties,"  said  Mari. 
"  Let's  go  in  swimming  and  have  some  fun  by 
ourselves  this  afternoon." 

Several  other  children  followed  the  example 
of  Ole  and  Mari.  Soon  there  was  such  a 
splashing  and  diving  that  the  echoes  of  the 
noise  came  sounding  back  from  the  mountain- 


The  Wedding  71 

sides.  Norse  children  are  great  swimmers. 
When  Mari  was  no  more  than  five  years  old 
she  had  learned  to  feel  as  much  at  home  in 
the  water  as  the  mermaids  of  whom  her  mother 
told  in  stories.  She  could  stay  below  as  long 
as  Ole ;  she  could  dive,  and  tread  water,  and 
swim  backwards.  There  was  nothing  to  fear, 
for  sharks  were  never  seen  near  that  shore,  and 
the  water  was  so  clear  one  could  see  to  the 
very  bottom,  no  matter  how  deep  it  might 
be. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

LEGENDS 

"I  am  afraid  I  shall  have  to  go  to  lumber- 
ing this  winter,"  said  Mari's  father,  as  the 
family  sat  around  the  great  open  fireplace. 

Henrik  had  been  home  from  the  mountain 
pasture  for  two  weeks.  It  was  growing  cold, 
and  Jack  Frost  had  paid  several  visits  to  the 
farm  already. 

"  What  a  shame  it  is  that  the  crops  turned 
out  so  badly,"  answered  his  wife.  "  In  one 
more  week  of  good  weather,  you  could  have 
saved  everything." 

"  Yes,  that  is  true,  wife,  but  we  cannot  help 
it.  We  lost  nearly  everything  on  account  of 
the  frost.  If  you  are  to  live  in  comfort,  I 
must  earn  money  now  in  some  other  way. 
Two  of  the  farm-hands  can  go  with  me  to  the 

72 


Legends  73 

camp  in  the  woods,  so  I  shall  not  be  very 
lonely." 

The  farmer  looked  around  the  cheerful 
room,  and  sighed.  Mari  went  to  his  side,  and 
put  her  arms  around  his  neck. 

"  Dear  father,  we  shall  miss  you  so  much," 
she  said.  "  You  will  come  home  at  Christmas, 
anyway,  won't  you  ? " 

"  O  yes,  the  camp  is  not  so  far  away  but  I 
shall  try  to  be  back  for  one  night  out  of  every 
two  weeks.  Henrik  and  Ole  will  take  good 
care  of  you  girls  and  your  mother,  I  know. 
They  will  be  able  to  visit  me,  too.  They  are 
both  good  runners  on  the  skis  (skees).  Al- 
though the  camp  is  miles  away,  it  will  not 
seem  much  to  them,  eh,  Ole  ? " 

"It  will  be  grand  sport,"  answered  the 
boy,  quickly.  "  We  will  run  a  race  to  see 
which  one  of  us  can  get  there  first.  Of  course 
Henrik  will  win.     But  who  cares  ?     I  don't." 

The  two  boys  had  been  busy  all  day  mak- 


74     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

ing  new  skis  for  themselves.  Great  sport  the 
children  would  have  all  this  winter  sliding 
down  the  hillsides. 

Coasting  on  sleds  !  yes,  there  was  plenty  of 
that,  too,  on  the  snowy  slopes  around  Mari's 
home.  But  ski-lobing  was  better  fun,  by  far. 
Mari  had  learned  to  slide  on  skis  long  ago. 
They  were  made  from  two  strips  of  wood,  six 
feet  long,  with  pointed  ends  curved  upward. 
When  they  were  strapped  on  her  stout  shoes 
the  little  girl  could  slide  over  the  snow  at  a 
wonderful  rate,  without  sinking  or  falling. 

No,  there  was  no  sport  like  ski-lobing. 
Mari  had  the  sled  Henrik  made  for  her  two 
years  ago,  and  her  two  brothers  sometimes 
dragged  her  on  it  down  to  the  village.  Some- 
times all  the  children  went  coasting  with  their 
sleds.  "  But  it  isn't  as  good  as  ski-lobing," 
they  would  always  say  when  they  came  home. 

And  it  was  no  wonder ;  you  would  agree 
with  them,  if  you  could  once  see  them  travel. 


SKI-LOBING. 


Legends  75 

It  was  almost  like  flying.  They  would  stand 
together  at  the  top  of  a  slope. 

"  Ready  !  "  Henrik  would  cry. 

Then  away  !  they  would  all  start  downwards. 
It  seemed  but  a  second  before  all  were  stand- 
ing at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  out  of  breath  and 
rosy  as  the  reddest  winter  apples. 

"  Now  for  the  top,"  cried  the  leader,  after  a 
moment's  rest ;  and  up  they  would  go  again. 

It  is  easy  to  understand  now  why  Ole  and 
Henrik  were  not  afraid  of  a  long  trip  on  skis 
over  the  snow-covered  fields  and  hills.  They 
were  so  skilful  they  would  get  to  the  camp  in 
two  hours  at  most. 

After  an  afternoon's  sport  on  the  hillside, 
the  children  once  more  gathered  in  the  big 
living-room. 

"  Tell  us  some  of  the  good  old  stories  we 
love  so  much,"  said  Mari.  "  There  is  no  one 
who  tells  them  so  well,  dear  father." 

It  was   the   last   evening    he  would   be   at 


76     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

home.  The  next  morning  he  must  start  out 
for  the  cold,  dreary  camp  in  the  woods. 
Every  one  was  feeling  sad,  but  all  tried  to 
hide  it  and  seem  gay  and  cheerful. 

"  What  shall  it  be,  a  fairy-story,  or  a  tale  of 
the  gods  and  goddesses  in  whom  the  Vikings 
believed  ?  "  he  asked  when  the  children  had 
gathered  around  him,  in  front  of  the  blazing 
logs  in  the  fireplace. 

"  First  let  us  hear  that  wonderful  legend  of 
the  beginning  of  the  world,"  answered  Mari. 
"  It  is  told  in  the  Eddas,  you  know." 

"Very  well,  then.  Shut  your  eyes  and  try 
to  think  of  a  time  when  there  was  no  earth, 
nor  sun,  nor  stars,  and  the  Great  Father  was 
All." 

Mari  opened  her  eyes  after  a  moment  and 
said,  softly,  "  How  lonely  it  must  have  been, 
papa." 

"  A  time  came,  however,"  her  father  went 
on,  "  when  all  was  changed.     For  out  of  the 


Legends  77 

thoughts  of  the  All-Father,  the  Land  of  Win- 
ter was  formed  in  the  far  north.  It  was 
wrapped  in  ice  and  cold  and  mist.  Then,  far 
away  to  the  south,  arose  the  Land  of  Heat  and 
Fire,  whose  flames  never  died  nor  burned  low. 

"  Now,  between  the  land  of  darkness  and 
cold,  and  the  land  of  light  and  heat,  there  was 
a  great  abyss,  into  which  the  icy  rivers  from 
the  north  were  ever  flowing.  Mist  rose  from 
these  waters  and  rushed  to  meet  the  sparks 
from  the  fires  which  were  ever  burning  in  the 
south  lands.  And  as  they  met,  a  wondrous 
giant  came  into  life,  the  child  of  Heat  and 
Cold." 

"  Who  was  there  to  care  for  him  when  he 
was  little  ?  "  asked  Mari. 

"  He  needed  no  one,  because  he  was  not 
like  ourselves,  my  dear;  still,  he  must  have 
food.  And  so  a  wonderful  cow  appeared,  to 
give  him  milk.  As  she  licked  the  ice  from 
the  stones,  a  new  being  gradually  took  shape 


78     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

and  arose.  He  was  like  ourselves,  Mari,  only- 
larger,  nobler,  mightier.  He  was  the  father 
of  all  the  gods,  of  whom  you  have  read  so 
many  stories.  I  believe  you  are  fondest  of 
the  god  Odin,  are  you  not,  Ole  ?  " 

"  Yes,  father,  and  it  is  because  so  many 
brave  and  noble  things  are  told  of  him.  But 
please  go  on  with  the  story.  You  haven't 
yet  told  us  how  this  world  was  made." 

"  The  gods  made  it  out  of  the  body  of  the 
giant,  whom  they  were  obliged  to  kill." 

"  They  killed  him  because  he  grew  wicked 
and  evil,  didn't  he,  papa  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Mari,  and  that  was  a  good  reason, 
without  doubt.  The  gods  now  used  all  their 
thought  and  power  in  making  the  world  beau- 
tiful. The  mountains  that  reach  up  so 
grandly  toward  the  sky  were  their  work,  as 
well  as  the  beautiful  valleys,  the  rivers  winding 
through  the  green  meadows,  the  rushing  cata- 
racts,  and   the   blue   lakes.     It   is,    indeed,   a 


Legends  79 

wonderful  earth.  Round  it  all  the  gods 
wrapped  the  great  oceans  which  send  their 
arms  far  up  into  our  shores." 

"  But  how  were  the  stars  made  ?  "  asked 
Mari. 

"  The  gods  first  made  the  blue  heaven 
which  stretches  above  us,  and  dwarfs  were 
put  at  each  corner  to  keep  it  in  place.  Sparks 
arising  from  the  realm  of  fire  were  caught  and 
changed  into  stars,  and  they  were  set  on  high 
to  give  light. 

"  A  giantess  whose  name  was  Night  had  a 
son  called  Day.  The  gods  were  kind  to 
them  and  gave  them  beautiful  chariots  and 
swift  horses  with  which  to  ride  through  the 
heavens.  Look  out  of  the  window,  children, 
and  see  how  bright  it  is.  That  is  because  the 
mane  of  Night's  horse  is  shedding  light  upon 
the  earth  as  he  travels  onward. 

"  When  the  sun  and  the  moon,  day  and 
night,  were  established,  the  gods  set  to  work 


80     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

to  build  a  home  for  themselves.  They  looked 
about  for  the  most  beautiful  spot,  and  decided 
upon  a  high  plain  on  the  summit  of  a  lofty 
mountain.  The  glorious  city  was  built,  and 
the  gods  settled  in  their  new  home.  It  was 
the  Golden  Age  of  the  world,  for  there  was 
no  sickness,  nor  death,  nor  sorrow,  nor 
pain. 

"  In  the  very  centre  of  the  wondrous  city 
the  gods  fashioned  a  golden  hall  for  them- 
selves, and  in  it  there  was  a  shining  throne 
for  each  one.  They  had  many  games  and 
sports,  in  which  they  vied  with  each  other  in 
strength  and  skill.  They  had  a  smithy,  where 
they  shaped  iron  and  gold  and  silver  into 
powerful  tools  and  weapons.  It  was  here 
that  the  rainbow  was  made,  which  you  see  at 
times  arching  over  the  heavens. 

"  But  the  gods  were  not  satisfied.  They 
looked  over  the  earth  and  saw  no  living  crea- 
tures.    They  said  among  themselves : 


Legends  8 1 

" f  We  will  make  the  dwarfs,  who  shall  live  in 
the  earth  and  work  the  mines.' 

"  But  this  was  not  all,  for  Odin,  your 
favourite  among  the  gods,  said  to  his  brothers: 

"  '  Look  yonder  at  those  two  trees,  the  ash 
and  the  elm,  standing  side  by  side.  We  will 
make  man  and  woman  from  them.  They 
shall  people  the  earth  and  we  will  care  for 
them  as  our  children.' 

"  So  it  came  to  pass  that  our  race  began  to 
live  among  the  hills  and  valleys,  and  has  been 
here  ever  since.  But  the  gods  have  never 
deserted  us,  but  are  ever  ready  to  help  and 
protect  us.  At  least,  all  this  is  what  the  legend 
teaches." 

"  Of  course,  there  are  no  real  gods,  are 
there  ?  "  said  Mari. 

"  The  only  gods  are  our  beautiful  souls,  my 
daughter.  They  can  never  die  nor  do  evil, 
any  more  than  these  gods  in  whom  our  old 
Vikings  really  believed.     The  giants  are  our 


82     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

earthly  natures  that  are  constantly  trying  to 
make  us  forget  our  godlike  souls.  But  we 
shall  conquer  them  at  last,  just  as  the  gods 
always  succeeded  in  mastering  the  giants,  no 
matter  how  strong  or  clever  they  were." 

"  Didn't  it  take  a  long  time  to  do  it,  papa  ? 
The  Golden  Age  didn't  last  after  quarrelling 
began,  did  it  ?  " 

"  No.  The  gods  had  their  troubles  and 
sorrows  as  well  as  men.  But,  as  I  said 
before,  the  gods  always  ended  by  being  suc- 
cessful." 

"  Are  you  too  tired  to  tell  another  story, 
father  ?  This  time  I  wish  we  could  hear  some- 
thing about  the  fairies.  Won't  you  tell  us 
about  Ashiepattle  ? " 

Now  Ashiepattle  is  one  of  the  favourites  of 
all  Norse  children,  and  many  tales  are  told 
of  his  wonderful  deeds. 

"  Which  story  shall  it  be  ? "  asked  the 
farmer. 


Legends  83 

"  The  one  about  his  eating  with  the  troll," 
cried  Mari  and  Ole,  together. 

Their  father  laughed.  "You  are  never 
tired  of  that,  although  you  are  almost  a  man, 
Ole.  Listen,  then,  and  you  shall  hear  how 
this  brave  boy  ate  with  the  giant. 

"  Once  upon  a  time  there  was  a  man  who 
had  three  sons.  The  older  boys  were  idle  and 
lazy  and  would  do  no  work.  Their  father  was 
too  old  and  feeble  to  compel  them.  He  had 
a  fine  wood-lot,  and  he  wished  them  to  go 
out  and  cut  down  the  trees.  Then  he  would 
be  able  to  sell  lumber  and  pay  his  bills  ;  but 
for  a  long  time  the  sons  gave  no  heed  to  his 
request. 

"  At  length,  however,  they  began  to  listen 
and  think  the  plan  was  a  good  one.  The 
oldest  son  shouldered  his  axe  and  started  for 
the  forest.  But  he  had  no  sooner  begun  his 
work  upon  a  big  tree,  than  a  troll  suddenly 
appeared  at  his  side. 


84     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

"  c  That  is  my  tree,'  said  the  troll.  '  If  you 
cut  it  down,  I  will  kill  you  at  once.' 

"  The  boy  was  terribly  frightened.  And  it 
is  scarcely  to  be  wondered  at,  for  the  troll  was 
an  immense,  fierce-looking  creature.  Dropping 
his  axe,  he  started  for  home  on  the  run,  and 
did  not  stop  to  look  around  till  he  got  there. 

" c  You  coward,'  cried  his  father  when  he 
heard  his  story.  c  When  I  was  a  boy  no  troll 
was  ever  able  to  scare  me  away  from  my  work.' 

"  *  I  will  go,'  said  the  second  son.  f  I  shall 
not  be  afraid,  you  may  believe.' 

"  He  started  out  with  a  brave  heart,  and  was 
soon  at  work  in  the  forest.  But  his  axe  had 
hardly  struck  the  first  tree  when  the  troll 
appeared  before  him. 

"  *  Spare  the  tree,  if  you  wish  me  to  spare 
your  life,'  cried  the  giant. 

"  The  boy  did  exactly  as  his  brother  had 
done  before  him.  All  his  bravery  disappeared 
the  moment  he  looked  upon  the  giant.    With- 


Legends  85 

out  stopping  a  moment  he  fled  for  home,  and 
rushed  into  the  house  breathless. 

"  '  What  a  foolish,  cowardly  fellow,'  cried  his 
father.  f  You  are  not  much  like  me  when  I 
was  young.  No  troll  ever  drove  me  away 
from  my  work.' 

"  *  Let  me  try,  father,'  said  little  Ashiepattle. 
f  I  am  not  afraid.' 

"  His  two  brothers  looked  at  him  in  aston- 
ishment. (  Tou  try,  when  we  have  both  failed  ! 
You,  who  never  go  out  of  the  house,  what  an 
idea  ! '     And  they  laughed  in  scorn. 

"  Nevertheless,  Ashiepattle  went  to  the 
forest.  But  first,  he  asked  his  mother  for  a 
good  supply  of  food.  She  at  once  put  on  the 
pot  and  made  him  a  cheese,  for  she  had  nothing 
ready.  With  this  in  his  bag,  he  started  out 
merrily  and  was  soon  at  work.  The  axe  was 
sent  straight  into  the  heart  of  the  tree,  and  the 
chips  flew  right  and  left.  But  just  then  a  deep, 
gruff  voice  was  heard  close  by. 


S6     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

" f  Stop  at  once/  cried  the  troll,  'or  you 
shall  die.' 

"  Now,  do  you  suppose  Ashiepattle  followed 
his  brothers'  example,  and  that  he  fled  from 
the  troll  ?  He  never  thought  of  such  a  thing. 
He  did  run,  to  be  sure,  but  only  for  a  short 
distance,  to  the  spot  where  he  had  left  his 
cheese.  Coming  back  to  the  place  where 
the  troll  stood,  he  squeezed  his  cheese  with 
all  his  might. 

" c  Keep  still,  or  I  will  squeeze  you  just  as  I 
am  squeezing  this  cheese,'  he  shouted. 

"  It  would  have  made  you  laugh  to  see  that 
little  fellow  talking  to  the  big  giant  in  this 
way ;  but  the  troll  was  a  coward,  as  all  big 
blusterers  are,  and  somehow  Ashiepattle  felt  it. 
His  quick  mind  told  him  that  he  was  a  human 
being,  and  wiser  than  all  the  trolls.  What 
do  you  suppose  the  troll  did,  children  ?  He 
cried,  c  Spare  me ! '  with  a  voice  trembling 
with    fear.     '  If  you    will    only   spare    me,    I 


Legends  87 

will  help  you  cut  down  the  trees/  he  added, 
in  haste. 

"  That  afternoon  great  work  was  done  in  the 
forest.  Many  great  trees  were  laid  low ;  for 
the  troll  had  wonderful  strength  in  his  big 
arms,  and  he  showed  himself  a  fine  helper. 

"  When  night  came  the  troll  proposed  that 
Ashiepattle  should  go  home  with  him  to 
supper. 

<f<  It  is  nearer  than  your  house,'  he  said. 

"  So  Ashiepattle  went  with  the  troll  to  his 
home  in  the  forest. 

"  Before  the  supper  could  be  made  ready, 
a  fire  must  be  made  in  the  fireplace.  The 
troll  said  he  would  do  this  if  Ashiepattle  would 
draw  some  water  from  the  well. 

"  When  the  boy  looked  at  the  iron  buckets 
he  should  have  to  fill,  he  knew  that  he  could 
not  even  lift  them ;  but  he  was  too  wise  to  say 
this. 

"  *  I  won't  bother  with  those  buckets,'  he 


88     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

told  the  troll ;  c  I  will  bring  the  well  itself. 
Then  you  will  be  sure  to  have  water  enough.' 

" '  O,  don't  do  that,'  cried  the  troll,  in 
fear,  f  for  I  will  have  no  well  left.  Let  me 
get  the  water,  while  you  make  the  fire.' 

"  This  suited  Ashiepattle,  of  course,  for  it 
was  exactly  what  he  wished.  The  water  was 
brought,  and  a  great  kettleful  of  porridge  was 
soon  ready  to  eat,  so  the  troll  and  the  boy  sat 
down  together  at  the  table. 

" c  I  can  eat  more  than  you,  although  you 
are  so  much  larger,'  said  Ashiepattle  to  his 
host. 

" f  Let  us  see  you  try,'  said  the  troll,  who 
felt  sure  he  could  beat  the  boy. 

"  What  do  you  think  Ashiepattle  did  ? 
When  the  troll  was  not  looking,  he  seized  the 
bag  in  which  he  had  kept  the  cheese,  and,  fas- 
tening it  in  front  of  him,  he  slipped  most  of 
the  porridge  he  received  into  that,  instead 
of   his    mouth.     At    last    it   was    quite   full. 


Legends  89 

Ashiepattle  then  took  his  knife  and  cut  a 
hole  in  it,  while  the  troll  watched  him  in 
wonder.      After  awhile  the  giant  exclaimed  : 

" f  I  really  can't  eat  any  more.  I  shall  have 
to  admit  you  have  beaten  me.' 

" c  Didn't  you  see  what  I  did  ? '  cried  his 
visitor.  f  If  you  cut  a  hole  in  your  stomach  as 
you  saw  me  do,  you  can  eat  as  long  as  you 
wish.' 

"'But  didn't  it  hurt  terribly?'  asked  the 
troll. 

" '  No,  indeed.  Try  it  and  see  for  yourself,' 
replied  Ashiepattle,  laughing  inside  all  the 
while. 

"  The  troll  did  as  he  was  told,  and  you  may 
guess  what  happened.  He  fell  on  the  floor  in 
agony  and  died  in  a  few  moments. 

"  And  what  did  our  brave  little  Ashiepattle 
do  ?  He  searched  for  the  stores  of  gold  and 
silver  belonging  to  the  troll,  and  soon  suc- 
ceeded in  finding  them.     He  started  for  home 


90     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

in  great  glee,  for  now  he  could  pay  his  father's 
debt  and  free  the  old  man  from  trouble." 

"  Listen,"  cried  Henrik,  as  his  father  fin- 
ished the  story.  "  There  is  a  noise  outside  as 
though  something  were  the  matter.  Do  you 
suppose  foxes  have  dared  to  come  near  and 
are  disturbing  the  hens  ?  " 

tc  We  will  soon  find  out,"  cried  the  farmer, 
jumping  to  his  feet.  "  Hand  me  my  gun 
from  the  wall,  good  wife,  and  Henrik,  take 
yours  and  follow  me." 

They  crept  out  of  the  house  with  as  little 
noise  as  possible,  while  Ole  and  Mari  flattened 
their  noses  against  the  window-panes.  But  it 
was  pitch-dark  outside,  and  they  could  see 
nothing. 

Bang,  bang  !  went  a  gun. 

"  They  found  him,  they  found  him," 
shouted  Ole,  jumping  up  and  down.  "  I  do 
hope  he  was  hit." 

A  few  minutes  after,  steps  were  heard  com- 


Legends  91 

ing  back  to  the  house.  Ole  rushed  to  the 
door  and  opened  it.  There  stood  his  father 
holding  a  large  red  fox  by  the  nape  of  the 
neck.  The  eyes  of  the  animal  were  glassy, 
for  he  was  quite  dead. 

"He  was  creeping  away  over  the  snow 
when  we  saw  him,"  said  the  farmer,  "  and  he 
had  one  of  my  finest  hens  in  his  mouth.  I 
don't  believe  this  was  his  first  visit,  either,  for 
you  know,  wife,  we  have  lost  several  fowls 
lately.  Henrik,  you  and  Ole  may  skin  this 
sly  fellow  and  make  a  mat  for  your  mother. 
But  it  is  getting  late,  and  I  must  start  early  in 
the  morning,  so  to  bed,  one  and  all." 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


THE    LUMBER    CAMP 


The  whole  family  were  awake  bright  and 
early  the  next  morning.  Mari  and  Greta 
helped  their  mother  in  packing  the  birch-bark 
knapsack  with  the  provisions  their  father 
needed  to  carry  with  him  to  the  forest. 
There  must  be  a  good  supply  of  dried  meat 
and  fish,  sugar,  butter,  and  flour.  Last,  but 
not  least,  the  coffee  was  packed  safely  inside. 
What  would  the  good  man  and  his  helpers  do 
without  this  refreshing  drink  ?  When  they 
returned  to  the  hut  after  a  day's  chilling 
work,  a  bowl  of  hot  coffee  would  fill  them 
with  new  life. 

"  Ole  and  I  will  come  next  week  and  bring 

you  fresh  supplies,"  said  Henrik,  as  his  father 

92 


The  Lumber  Camp  93 

bade  them  good-bye  and  the  three  men  started 
out  on  their  snow-shoes  over  the  crisp  snow. 

They  were  soon  out  of  sight  and  the  rest 
of  the  family  returned  to  their  work.  But 
little  Mari,  who  loved  her  father  very  tenderly, 
kept  thinking  of  the  hard,  cold  work  before 
him.  What  kind  of  a  home  would  he  find 
when  he  got  into  the  forest  ?  There  would  be 
no  shelter  of  any  kind. 

He  and  his  men  must  go  to  work  at  once 
and  saw  some  logs,  with  which  they  would 
build  a  rough  hut.  They  would  stuff  the 
chinks  with  moss  to  keep  out  the  great  cold, 
or  else  they  would  freeze  to  death. 

What  furniture  would  they  have  ?  A  large, 
flat  stone  would  serve  as  a  fireplace,  while  the 
bed  would  be  made  of  poles  placed  side  by 
side  and  covered  with  moss.  That  was  all. 
They  must  sleep  as  close  to  the  fire  as  possi- 
ble, and  even  then  they  would  suffer  greatly 
during  the  long,  freezing  nights. 


94     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

"  I  am  so  sorry  the  crops  failed,"  said  Mari 
to  her  mother  when  she  had  thought  of  all 
these  things.  ct  I  almost  wish  father  had  gone 
to  work  fishing  this  winter.  I  don't  believe 
that  would  have  been  as  hard  work." 

"  The  sea  has  its  own  dangers,  my  daugh- 
ter," answered  her  mother.  "  Think  of  the 
fearful  storms  that  rage  along  our  coast  and 
the  sad  deaths  that  have  come  to  some  of  our 
friends.  No,  Mari,  lumbering  is  hard  work, 
but  it  is  safer,  I  think,  than  fishing  in  the 
winter  season." 

Ole  had  come  into  the  room  while  they 
were  talking. 

"  It's  cold  and  uncomfortable  for  father  this 
winter,  I  know,"  he  said,  "  but  the  greatest 
danger  is  in  the  spring-time,  when  he  has 
to  float  the  logs  down  the  narrow  streams  to 
the  sawmills." 

"  Why  is  that  so  dangerous  ?  "  asked  Mari. 

"  Because  his  work  isn't  over  when  he  has 


The  Lumber  Camp  95 

once  launched  the  logs  into  the  water.  He 
must  watch  them  in  their  course  and  see  that 
they  get  to  their  journey's  end.  Suppose  one 
log  gets  across  the  stream  and  blocks  the  way  ? 
Then  father  must  wade  out  into  the  water  and 
pull  that  log  aside  with  his  boat-hook.  He 
has  to  spend  a  good  deal  of  his  time  in  the 
water,  and  is  likely  to  freeze  his  feet,  or  get 
a  terrible  cold,  at  any  rate.  Perhaps  he  has  to 
jump  on  the  logs  as  he  pulls  them  apart. 
Suppose  he  slips  and,  falling  through,  is 
jammed  to  death  between  the  logs ! 

"  There,  there,  Mari,  dear,  don't  cry.  I 
shouldn't  have  said  all  this.  Father  will  prob- 
ably get  along  all  right  and  come  home  safe  in 
the  spring." 

Henrik  put  his  strong  arms  around  his 
little  sister,  and  she  had  soon  forgotten  her 
fears  and  was  laughing  heartily  over  the  fairy- 
story  he  was  telling  her. 

The  next  week  after  their  father  left  home, 


g6     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

Henrik  and  Ole  started  out  on  a  visit  to  the 
camp,  carrying  with  them  a  stock  of  provisions 
large  enough  to  supply  the  men  for  several 
days  longer. 

"  Take  your  gun,  Henrik,"  said  his  mother, 
"  for  you  can't  tell  what  wild  creatures  you  may 
meet  on  the  way.  It  would  be  a  fine  surprise 
for  your  father  if  you  should  present  him  with 
a  hare  or  a  deer.  Some  fresh  meat  would 
make  a  rare  treat  for  the  men." 

The  boys  skimmed  over  mile  after  mile  of 
snowy  ground,  and  nothing  unusual  happened. 
No  houses  were  in  sight  all  this  time,  and 
there  were  no  tracks  of  living  creatures.  It 
was  lonely,   and   dreary,  and  quiet. 

They  were  nearing  their  journey's  end,  and 
were  climbing  the  side  of  a  hill,  when  Henrik 
suddenly  stopped. 

"  See,  Ole,"  he  whispered,  "  there  are  the 
tracks  of  some  four-footed  beast  ahead  of  us. 
They  are  too  heavy  and  big  for  hares'.    It  may 


The  Lumber  Camp  97 

be  we  are  near  some  bear's  den.  Look  out, 
for  you  know  the  old  ones  are  sometimes  very 
fierce.  Let  us  follow  the  tracks  for  a  while 
and  see  what  we  come  to,  anyway." 

"  Shouldn't  we  be  proud  if  we  could  find 
him  and  kill  him  ?  "  answered  Ole.  "  Roasted 
bear's  meat  makes  a  pretty  good  dinner." 

The  boys  travelled  very  carefully  now,  for 
they  had  come  into  the  thick  woods.  The 
tracks  suddenly  came  to  an  end  at  a  pile  of 
logs  lying  at  one  side. 

"  Perhaps  the  bear  has  a  snug  home  under 
those  logs,"  said  Henrik,  in  a  low  tone,  as  he 
seized  his  gun. 

At  that  very  moment  the  boys  heard  a  sound, 
and  at  once  a  huge  brown  bear  appeared.  He 
moved  sleepily,  as  though  he  had  just  been 
wakened,  but  as  soon  as  he  got  sight  of  the 
boys  he  roused,  and  his  face  became  fierce. 

No  time  was  to  be  lost,  but  Henrik  was 
as  cool  as  any  old  hunter.     His  hand  did  not 


98     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

tremble  as  he  took  careful  aim.  Whizz  !  flew 
the  bullet  just  as  the  bear  prepared  to  come 
at  them.  It  would  have  gone  straight  into  his 
heart  if  he  had  not  suddenly  raised  his  paw, 
but  it  entered  that  instead. 

"  Run  for  your  life,  Ole,"  shouted  his 
brother,  as  the  huge  and  angry  brute  dashed 
toward  them. 

Even  as  he  spoke,  the  bear  knocked  Ole 
down,  and  would  have  made  short  work  of 
him  if  it  had  not  been  for  Henrik's  coolness. 
A  second  shot  from  his  gun  broke  the  animal's 
neck.  He  rose  on  his  hind  legs,  and  plunged 
blindly  forward  only  to  fall  dead  at  Henrik's 
feet. 

"  It's  a  good  thing  we  are  trained  to  be 
soldiers  at  school,"  the  brave  boy  said  after- 
ward, when  he  told  the  story  to  his  father. 
"  I  really  believe  I  should  have  lost  my  head, 
if  it  hadn't  been  for  that  training.  But  I  said 
to  myself:  c  You  never  fail  at  home  in  hitting 


The  Lumber  Camp  99 

the  mark,  why  should  you  now  ? '  It  gave 
me  courage,  father." 

His  father  smiled  and  answered,  "  You  have 
done  well,  Henrik.     I  am  proud  of  you." 

This  was  said  as  the  boys  sat  around  the 
fire  in  the  log  hut  that  night.  As  soon  as  they 
were  sure  the  bear  was  really  dead,  they  had 
hurried  on  to  the  camp,  which  was  only  a  short 
distance  away.  Then,  as  soon  as  they  had 
told  of  their  luck,  the  men  went  back  with 
them  to  skin  the  bear  and  cut  up  and  bring  in 
the  meat.  They  brought  it  to  the  camp  on 
a  rough  sledge. 

"  He  is  a  beauty,"  exclaimed  one  of  the 
men,  as  he  looked  at  the  bear. 

"  And  as  big  a  one  as  I  ever  set  eyes  on," 
said  the  other.  "  I  don't  see  how  you  ever 
dared  to  tackle  him,  Henrik.  I  should  have 
hesitated  for  a  moment,  myself." 

It  was  so  late  in  the  day  when  they  all  got 
back  to  the  camp  that  father  said : 


ioo     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

"  Boys,  you  had  better  stay  all  night,  unless 
you  think  your  mother  will  worry  about  you." 

"  We  told  her  we  might  not  come  home 
to-day,"  said  Ole.  "It  is  such  a  long  tramp, 
she  said  we  had  better  not  try,  for  we  would 
get  too  tired.     So  it  is  all  right." 

How  good  the  bear  steak  looked  when  it  was 
set  on  the  rough  supper-table.  It  was  smoked 
a  good  deal,  —  that  was  certain  ;  but  no  one 
spoke  or  even  thought  of  that.  And  the  table 
was  not  elegant,  for  there  was  no  cloth  to 
cover  the  rough  pine  boards.  But  the  fresh 
cheese,  the  kind  mother  had  sent,  the  hard 
brown  bread  baked  by  the  men,  with  plenty 
of  bear  steak  and  a  bowl  of  steaming  coffee, 
made  a  supper  "  fit  for  a  king,"  as  the  boys 
declared  when  they  could  eat  no  more. 


CHAPTER   IX. 


THE    LAPPS 


"  Perhaps  this  seems  a  cold  place  to  you, 
when  you  think  of  the  warm  farmhouse  you 
left  yesterday,"  said  one  of  the  workmen  to 
Henrik.  "  You  ought  to  go  to  the  far  north, 
and  visit  the  Lapps.  Ah  !  you  will  find  plenty 
of  cold  weather  there.  But  those  queer  people 
don't  seem  to  notice  it  very  much.  I  suppose 
that  is  because  they  have  got  used  to  it,  since 
they  never  lived  anywhere  else." 

"  Do  tell  us  about  them,"  begged  Ole.  "  I 
didn't  know  you  had  ever  been  to  Lapland, 
Adolf." 

"  Yes,  when  I  was  a  young  man  I  was  a 
great  hunter,  Ole.  I  have  travelled  all  over 
this  country  and  have  seen  many  strange 
sights." 


IOI 


102     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

"  I  should  like  to  be  a  hunter,  too,"  said 
Henrik.  "  It  must  be  great  sport  getting  the 
wild  reindeer.  But  go  on,  Adolf,  and  tell  us 
about  the  homes  of  the  Lapps,  and  their  herds 
of  tame  reindeer,  as  well  as  the  queer  ways  of 
the  people." 

"  They  are  a  strange  people,  that  is  a  fact," 
said  Adolf.  "  They  are  queer-looking  and 
queer  in  their  ways.  They  are  very  small, 
few  of  them  over  five  feet  tall,  and  they  are 
quite  stout.  Their  skin  is  of  a  dark  yellow ; 
the  hair  is  jet-black,  coarse  and  straight ;  their 
cheek-bones,  high ;  and  their  eyes  are  blue 
and  small.  Their  little  noses  turn  up  in  a 
comical  way,  and  their  mouths  are  often  open 
as  though  they  were  surprised  at  something." 

"  I  suppose  they  dress  in  fur,  don't  they  ? " 
asked  Ole. 

"  O  yes,  from  head  to  foot.  But  they  get 
all  they  need  from  the  skins  of  their  reindeer. 
They  wear  high   boots  bound  tightly  around 


'"IT   IS    ALWAYS    IN    THE    SHAPE    OF    A    MOUND.'" 


The  Lapps  103 

their  legs  in  winter- time,  so  they  are  abie  to 
keep  dry,  even  if  they  are  out  in  the  worst 
snow-storm." 

"  What  are  their  houses  made  of? "  asked 
Henrik.  "  I  suppose  lumber  is  scarce  where 
they  live." 

"  Sometimes  the  people  make  a  frame-work 
of  timber  and  cover  it  first  with  skins  and  then 
with  turf.  Sometimes  the  hut  is  built  of 
stones,  over  which  the  turf  is  thickly  laid. 
But  it  is  always  in  the  shape  of  a  mound." 

"  Are  there  any  windows  in  the  hut  ? " 

"  No,  Ole,  and  so,  of  course,  the  air  inside 
is  very  close  and  unpleasant.  There  isn't  even 
a  chimney.  A  hole  is  left  in  the  roof  large 
enough  to  let  out  the  smoke ;  that  is  all. 
When  the  short  summer  comes  round,  the 
Lapps  prefer  to  live  in  deer-skin  tents,  and  I 
can't  say  I  blame  them." 

"  Did  you  ever  visit  them  in  their  homes, 
Adolf? "  asked  Henrik. 


104     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

"  Yes,  I  stayed  with  a  family  of  them  over 
night.  They  seemed  very  friendly  and  tried 
to  make  my  visit  pleasant,  but  I  didn't  enjoy  it 
very  much,  it  was  such  a  dirty,  smoky  place. 

"  In  the  middle  of  the  room  was  a  stone 
fireplace,  over  which  hung  the  kettle  when  our 
supper  was  cooked.  They  all  squatted  on 
deer-skins  around  the  fire.  When  I  had 
been  there  a  few  minutes,  I  heard  a  noise 
overhead.  I  looked  up  and  saw  a  dear  little 
blue-eyed  baby,  swinging  in  a  hammock  and 
cooing  to  me.  I  reached  up  and  took  it  down, 
and  it  snuggled  in  my  arms  as  though  it  knew 
I  was  a  friend." 

"  What  did  you  have  for  supper  ? "  asked 
the  farmer. 

"  Everything  came  from  the  reindeer,  of 
course.  There  was  plenty  of  rich  milk,  be- 
sides a  good-sized  cheese  and  a  meat  stew.  I 
have  eaten  worse  meals  since,  many  times." 

"  But  how  did  you  sleep  ?  " 


The  Lapps  105 

"  The  beds  were  easily  made  by  stretching 
deer-skins  on  the  floor.  We  covered  our- 
selves with  more  skins,  and  lay  snug  and  warm 
till  morning." 

"  Did  you  sleep  more  warmly  than  we 
do  here  ? "  The  farmer  laughed  as  he  said 
it. 

"  I  must  say  I  did,"  replied  Adolf,  with  an 
answering  laugh. 

"  Although  the  Lapps'  huts  are  far  from 
beautiful,  they  are  made  so  that  wind  and  snow 
cannot  blow  in,  at  any  rate."  Adolf  pointed 
to  a  ridge  of  snow  that  had  sifted  in  through 
the  wall,  although  they  had  stuffed  the  cracks 
as  well  as  they  could  with  dried  moss. 

"  But,  dear  me !  the  Lapps  wouldn't  mind 
it  very  much  if  it  did,"  he  went  on.  "  The 
men  will  lie  down  to  sleep  in  an  open  field 
on  rocks  or  snow,  if  they  are  not  near  their 
home.  They  are  not  afraid  of  the  cold,  and 
it  seldom  seems  to  hurt  them,  either. 


106     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

"  As  I  lay  on  the  floor  of  the  hut  that  night, 
I  could  see  rows  of  smoked  meat  and  fish 
hanging  against  the  sides  of  the  walls.  They 
have  neither  storehouses  nor  closets,  so  they 
are  obliged  to  keep  their  provisions  in  the 
huts. 

"  The  next  morning  I  went  out  among  the 
reindeer  with  the  chief  of  the  settlement.  I 
believe  there  were  more  than  a  thousand  rein- 
deer in  sight.  It  was  milking-day  and  the 
men  were  having  a  lively  time  of  it.  They 
had  to  catch  each  animal  and  hold  it  still  with 
a  lasso  while  the  milking  was  done." 

"Why  did  you  speak  of  milking-day, 
Adolf?  Don't  the  Lapps  milk  the  reindeer 
as  often  as  we  do  our  cows  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed.  It  is  done  only  once  a 
week,  because  the  creatures  are  so  wild.  They 
are  not  gentle  and  tame,  as  you  have  probably 
supposed.  They  can  be  managed  very  well 
in    driving,    however.       It   is   great   sport    to 


The  Lapps  107 

ride  behind  a  team  of  reindeer,  for  one  flies 
over  the  snow  like  the  wind.  Their  masters 
sometimes  drive  them  a  hundred  miles  in  a 
day." 

"  That  is  good,  for  I  [have  heard  that 
the  Lapps  don't  stay  in  one  place  all  their 
lives.  They  are  a  wandering  people,  aren't 
they?" 

"Yes,  Ole,  but  one  reason  for  that  is  the 
need  of  finding  good  feeding-grounds  for  their 
deer.  When  one  place  becomes  bare,  they 
must  seek  another.  Then,  again,  in  the  sum- 
mer-time they  like  to  go  to  the  rivers  and 
camp  beside  them  for  the  sake  of  the  salmon 
fishing.  They  are  as  fond  as  we  of  a  good 
dish  of  salmon  for  dinner." 

"  What  do  the  reindeer  feed  on  ? "  asked 
Henrik. 

"  In  winter  they  paw  away  the  snow  and 
find  the  lichen,  which  is  a  little  gray  plant 
very  much  like  the  moss  you  see  growing  on 


108     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

the  mountainside  about  here.  In  summer 
they  eat  the  young  and  tender  shoots  on  the 
bushes  and  low  trees.  They  are  very  hardy 
creatures  and  among  the  most  useful." 

"Just  think!"  cried  Ole.  "The  reindeer 
furnish  the  Lapps  with  everything  they  need, 
—  their  clothing,  food,  and  shelter ;  and,  as  if 
that  were  not  enough,  they  make  good  beasts 
of  burden,  and  carry  their  masters  wherever 
they  wish  to  go." 

"  I  shall  tell  Mari  all  about  them  when  I 
get  home,"  Ole  went  on.  "  I  know  one 
question  my  busy  little  sister  will  ask  at  once. 
She  will  say,  c  What  do  the  women  and  chil- 
dren do  with  themselves  all  the  time  ? '  How 
shall  I  answer  that  question,  Adolf? " 

"You  may  tell  Mari  there  is  plenty  of 
work  for  them.  They  dress  the  reindeer 
skins,  and  make  lovely  rugs  and  warm  slip- 
pers turned  up  at  the  toes  and  bound  with 
red." 


The  Lapps  109 

"  Why,  yes,  Ole,  your  mother  has  a  pair 
of  slippers  made  by  the  Lapp  women,"  in- 
terrupted his  father.  "  I  bought  them  for  her 
at  Bergen,  and  she  wears  them  on  cold  winter 
mornings." 

"  That  is  so,  I  remember  them ;  but  I 
never  thought  about  the  Lapps  when  I  looked 
at  them,"  answered  Ole.  "  Is  there  any- 
thing else  the  women  of  Lapland  make, 
Adolf? " 

"  Many  things.  They  showed  me  knives 
and  spoons  they  had  shaped  out  of  the  horns 
of  the  reindeer.  They  were  very  pretty,  and 
a  great  deal  of  time  must  have  been  spent  on 
the  carving.  The  men  and  boys  do  most  of 
this  last  work.  I  really  think  the  most  won- 
derful thing  I  saw  was  the  thread  the  women 
make  of  the  reindeer  sinews.  It  is  fine  and 
even,  yet  very  strong.  I  wish  I  could  have 
seen  them  making  it." 

Adolf  yawned.     "  I  am  so  sleepy  I  think  it 


no    Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

must  be  bedtime.     There's  a  hard  day's  work 
before  us  to-morrow." 

After  fresh  wood  had  been  laid  on  the  fire, 
the  party  quickly  settled  themselves  for  the 
night's  rest. 


CHAPTER  X. 


HOLIDAY    FROLICS 


"  Father's  coming,  father's  coming  !  "  cried 
Mari  as  she  stood  looking  down  the  snow- 
covered  valley. 

She  rushed  into  the  house  and  put  on  her 
skis,  then  skimmed  across  the  fields  with  long 
strides. 

"  Everything  is  ready,"  she  told  her  father 
as  soon  as  she  reached  him.  "And  now  we 
shall  have  a  lovely  Christmas  because  you  have 
come." 

Yes,  everything  was  ready  for  the  greatest 
day  of  the  year.  Even  the  birds  were  not 
forgotten,  for  a  fresh  sheaf  of  wheat  had  been 
fastened  on  the  pole  where  the  magpie  had 
hidden  the  silver  brooch.  Ole  had  made  a 
new  collar  for  the   dog,   Kyle ;   Henrik   had 


in 


ii2     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

shot  enough  wild  game  for  the  Christmas 
dinner ;  Mari  and  Greta  had  helped  their 
mother  in  making  some  wonderful   cakes. 

There  was  nothing  for  the  tired  father  to  do 
except  to  sit  in  the  chimney-corner  and  frolic 
with  his  children.  It  was  a  jolly  time,  for  no 
one  was  expected  to  be  quiet  now,  and  all  were 
allowed  to  do  as  they  pleased. 

Christmas  comes  but  once  a  year,  and  the 
children  realized  it  fully. 

They  played  games  and  told  stories ;  they 
danced  and  sang  to  the  music  of  Henrik's 
violin.  There  was  no  spinning,  or  even  cro- 
cheting, for  the  girls,  while  the  boys  did  only 
what  farm  work  was  needed  to  keep  the  horses 
and  cattle  comfortable. 

On  Christmas  Day  a  party  of  the  villagers 
came  to  the  farm  to  share  in  the  games  and 
feasting.  Even  the  magpie,  mischievous  little 
fellow,  seemed  to  enjoy  the  fun.  He  flew 
from  one  to  the  others  of  the  party  and,  light- 


Holiday  Frolics  113 

ing  on  the  shoulders  of  the  young  girls 
suddenly,  would  startle  them  and  make  every 
one  else  laugh. 

The  baby,  bless  his  heart,  had  the  best  time 
of  all.  He  was  not  left  to  hang  in  his  cradle 
for  a  single  moment.  Everybody  wished  to 
hold  him,  and  he  was  passed  from  one  to  an- 
other of  the  company,  where  he  enjoyed  him- 
self fingering  the  shining  silver  ornaments  of 
his  friends. 

He  had  his  new  toys  to  amuse  him,  also,  for 
Henrik  and  Ole  had  carved  him  a  doll  and  a 
queer-looking  horse  out  of  wood. 

Everybody  was  jolly  and  happy,  and  there 
was  much  drinking  of  coffee  and  shaking  of 
hands.  It  was  eleven  o'clock  when  the  tired 
but  happy  children  climbed  the  steps  of  their 
beds  to  dream  of  the  good  time  just  over. 

After  this,  it  did  not  seem  a  very  long  time 
to  Fastilevn,  which  is  the  next  best  holiday 
to    Christmas.     At   least,    that   is  what  Mari 


H4     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

thought,  and  if  you  lived  with  her  you  would 
surely  think  so  too. 

Fastilevn  comes  in  the  early  spring,  on  the 
first  Monday  of  Lent,  and  on  that  day  the 
Norse  children  are  allowed  to  do  exactly  as 
they  wish.  Their  parents  may  be  strict  and 
stern  all  the  rest  of  the  year,  but  at  Fastilevn 
all  rules  are  laid  aside  and  the  little  ones  may 
run  wild  if  they  like. 

Cakes  and  buns !  If  you  could  see  Mari, 
Greta,  and  their  brothers  eat  sweet  things  on 
this  day,  you  would  wonder  where  they  could 
possibly  find  room  in  their  stomachs  to  stow 
them  all  away. 

The  feasting  was  not  the  best  part  of  the 
fun,  however.  You  would  never  guess  what 
strange  thing  the  children  were  allowed  to  do 
on  that  day.  They  might  whip  their  mother ! 
Of  course,  it  was  all  in  sport.  The  boys  took 
long  birch  twigs  and  fastened  many  tissue- 
papers  and  coloured  ribbons  and  tinsel  upon 


Holiday  Frolics  115 

them.  The  night  before  the  great  day,  these 
twigs  were  set  up  in  a  corner  of  the  living- 
room,  all  ready  for  the  next  day's  fun. 

With  the  first  light  of  morning  those  gay 
switches  began  to  be  plied,  while  the  chil- 
dren followed  their  mother  about,  laughing 
gaily  all  the  while. 

How  long  did  the  fun  last,  do  you  suppose  ? 
Until  the  last  shred  of  paper  was  gone  from 
each  switch. 

And  how  do  you  suppose  there  ever  came 
to  be  such  an  odd  custom  ?  The  Norse 
parents  believe  firmly  in  the  old  maxim, 
"  Spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child."  Their 
children  are  likely  to  be  often  whipped  for 
wrong-doing ;  Fastilevn  is  supposed  to  make 
up  for  twelve  months  of  whippings,  whether 
they  were  deserved  or  not. 

Mari  has  seldom  needed  punishment,  for 
she  is  a  good,  helpful  little  girl ;  but  she  en- 
joys Fastilevn  very  much,  nevertheless. 


n6     Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

The  holiday  came  to  an  end,  as  all  days 
must,  whether  they  are  good  or  bad.  In  the 
evening,  when  the  bare  switches  had  been 
thrown  away,  Mari  went  to  her  mother  and 
put  her  arms  around  her  neck,  whispering : 

"  Mamma,  I  wouldn't  really  hurt  you  for 
the  world,  even  if  you  had  to  give  me  a  thou- 
sand whippings.  And  I  am  going  to  try 
harder  than  ever  to  be  your  little  helper." 

The  good  woman's  eyes  filled  with  tears. 
"  God  bless  you,  little  daughter,"  she  said5 
as  she  bent  down  and  kissed  her. 


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Ada  Clendenin  Williamson. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover       ....      $1.50 

"  An  amusing,  original  book,  written  for  the  benefit  of 
very  small  children.  It  should  be  one  of  the  most  popular 
of  the  year's  books  for  reading  to  small  children."  — 
Buffalo  Express. 

THE  SANDMAN:  MORE  FARM  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated    $1.50 

Mr.  Hopkins's  first  essay  at  bedtime  stories  met  with 

euch'sfapproval  that  this  second  book  of  "  Sandman  "  tales 

was  issued  for  scores  of  eager  children.    Life  on  the  farm, 

and  out-of-doors,  is  portrayed  in  his  inimitable  manner. 

THE  SANDMAN:  HIS  SHIP  STORKS 

By  William  J.  Hopkins,  author  of  "  The  Sandman: 
His  Farm  Stories,"  etc. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated    $1.50 
"  Children  call  for  these  stories  over  and  over  again."  — 
Chicago  Evening  Post. 

A— 0 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


THE  SANDMAN,  HIS  SEA  STORIES 

By  William  J.  Hopkins. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated     $1.50 

Each  year  adds  to  the  popularity  of  this  unique^series 

of  stories  to  be  read  to  the  little  ones  at  bed  time  and  at 

other  times. 

THE  DOCTOR'S  LITTLE  GIRL 

By  Marion  Ames  Taggakt,  author  of    "  Pussy-Cafc 

Town,"  etc. 

One  vol.,  library  12mo,  illustrated       .        .        .      $1.50 

A  thoroughly  enjoyable  tale  of  a  little  girl^and  her  com- 
rade father,  written  in  a  delightful  vein  of  sympathetic 
comprehension  of  the  child's  point  of  view. 

SWEET  NANCY 

The  Further  Adventures  op  the  Doctor's  Little 

Girl.    By  Marion  Ames  Taggart. 

One  vol..  library,  12mo,  illustrated       .        .        .      $1.50 

In  the  new  book,  the  author  tells  how  Nancy  becomes 
in  fact  "  the  doctor's  assistant,"  andcontinues  to  shed 
happiness  around  her. 

THE  CHRISTMAS-MAKERS'  CLUB 

By  Edith  A.  Sawyer. 

12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .        .        .      $1.50 

A  delightful  story  for  girls,  full  of  the  real  spirit  of 

Christmas.     It  abounds  in  merrymaking  and  the  right 

kind  of  fun. 

CARLOTA 

A  Story  op  the  San  Gabriel  Mission.    By  Frances 
Margaret  Fox. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  decorated 

in  colors  by  Ethelind  Bidgway     .       .       .       .      $1.00 

"  It  is  a  pleasure  to  recommend  this  little  story  as  an 

entertaining  contribution  to  juvenile  literature."  —  The 

New  York  Sun. 

THE  SEVEN  CHRISTMAS  CANDLES 
By  Frances  Margaret  Fox. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Ethelind  Ridgway       .  $1.00 
Miss  Fox's  new  book  deals  with  the  fortunes  of  the  de- 
lightful Muivaney  children. 
A— 7 


L.  C.  PAGE  &  COMPANY'S 


PUSSY-CAT  TOWN 

By  Marion  Ames  Taggart. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deoo*- 

rated  in  colors $1.00 

"  Anything  more  interesting  than  the  doings  of  the  cats 
in  this  story,  their  humor,  their  wisdom,  their  patriotism, 
would  be  hard  to  imagine."  —  Chicago  Post. 

THE  ROSES  OF  SAINT  ELIZABETH 

By  Jane  Scott  Woodruff. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  decorated 
in  colors  by  Adelaide  Everhart  .  .  .  .  $J  ,00 
This  is  a  charming  little  story  of  a  child  whose  father  was 

caretaker  of  the  great  castle  of  the  Wartburg,  where  Saint 

Elizabeth  once  had  her  home. 

GABRIEL  AND  THE  HOUR  BOOK 

By  Evaleen  Stein. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Adelaide  Everhart     .       .       .    $1 .00 
Gabriel  was  a  loving,  patient,  little  French  lad,  who 
assisted  the  monks  in  the  long  ago  days,  when  all  the  books 
were  written  and  illuminated  by  hand,  in  the  monasteries. 

THE  ENCHANTED  AUTOMOBILE 

Translated  from  the  French  by  Mart  J.  Safford 
Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Edna  M.  Sawyer  $1.00 
"  An  up-to-date  French  fairy-tale  which  fairly  radiates 

the  spirit  of  the  hour,  —  unceasing  diligence."  —  Chicago 

Record-Herald. 

O-HEART-SAN 

The  Story  of  a  Japanese  Girl.  By  Helen  Egglhs- 
ton  Haskell. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Frank  P.  Fairbanks       .        .      $1.00 
"  The  story  comes  straight  from  the  heart  of  Japan. 
The  shadow  of  Fujiyama  lies   across  it  and  from  every 
page  breathes  the  fragrance  of  tea  leaves,  cherry  blossoms 
and  chrysanthemums."  —  The  Chicago  Inter-Ocean. 

A— 8 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


THE  YOUNG  SECTION-HAND:  Or,  The  Advent 
tubes  of  Allan  West.    [By  Burton  E.  Stevenson. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .      $1.50 
Mr.  Stevenson's  hero  is  a  manly  lad  of  sixteen,  who  ia 
given  a  chance  as  a  section-hand  on  a  big  Western  rail- 
road, and  whose  experiences  are  as  real  as  they  are  thrilling. 

THE  YOUNG  TRAIN  DISPATCHER.  By  Bur- 
ton E.  Stevenson. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated         .      $1.50 
"  A  better  book  for  boys  has  never  left  an  American 

press."  —  Springfield  Union. 

THE  YOUNG  TRAIN  MASTER.     By  Burton  E. 

Stevenson. 

Square  12mo,  cloth   decorative,  illustrated       .    $1.50 
"  Nothing  better  in  the  way  of  a  book  of  adventure  for 
boys  in  which  the  actualities  of  life  are  set  forth  in  a  practi- 
cal way  could  be  devised  or  written."  —  Boston  Herald. 

CAPTAIN  JACK  LORIMER.  By  Winn  Standish. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .  $1.50 
Jack  is  a  fine  example  of  the  all-around  American  hjgh- 

school  boy. 

JACK  LORIMER'S  CHAMPIONS:  Or,  Sports  on 
Land  and  Lake.    By  Winn  Standish. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .      $1.50 
"  It  is  exactly  the  sort  of  book  to  five  a  boy  interested 

in  athletics,  for  it  shows  him  what  it  means  to  always 

'  play  fair.'  "  —  Chicago  Tribune. 

JACK  LORIMER'S  HOLIDAYS:  Or,  Millvale 
High  in  Camp.   By  Winn  Standish. 

Illustrated $1.50 

Full  of  just  the  kind  of  fun,  sports  and  adventure  to 

excite  the  nealthy  minded  youngster  to  emulation. 

JACK  LORIMER'S  SUBSTITUTE :  Or,  The  Act- 
ing Captain  op  the  Team.    By  Winn  Standish. 

Illustrated $1.50 

On  the  sporting  side,  this  book  takes  up  football,  wres- 
tling, tobogganing,  but  it  is  more  of  a  school  story  perhaps 
than  any  of  its  predecessors, 
.  —8 


Z.  C.  PAGE  &•  COMPANY'S 


CAPTAIN  JINKS:  The  Autobiography  of  a  Shet- 
land Pont.     By  Frances  Hodges  White. 
Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .        .        .        .      $1.50 

The  story  of  Captain  Jinks  and  his  faithful  dog  friend 
Billy,  their  quaint  conversations  and  their  exciting 
adventures,  will  be  eagerly  read  by  thousands  of  boys  and 
girls.  The  story  is  beautifully  written  and  will  take  its 
place  alongside  of  "  Black  Beauty  "  and  "  Beautiful  Joe." 

THE  RED  FEATHERS.  By  Theodore  Roberts. 
Cloth  decorative,  illustrated         .       .       .  $1.50 

"  The  Red  Feathers  "  tells  of  the  remarkable  adventures 

of  an  Indian  boy  who  lived  in  the  Stone  Age,  many  years 

ago,  when  the  world  was  young. 

FLYING   PLOVER.     By  Theodore  Roberts. 

Cloth  decorative.     Illustrated  by  Charles  Livingston 

Bull $1.00 

Squat-By-The-Fire  is  a  very  old  and  wise  Indian  who 

lives  alone  with  her  grandson,  "  Flying  Plover,"  to  whom 

she  tells  the  stories  each  evening. 

THE  WRECK  OF  THE  OCEAN  QUEEN.    By 

James  Otis,  author  of  "  Larry  Hudson's  Ambition,"  etc. 
Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .        .        .       .      $1.50 

"  A  stirring  story  of  wreck  and  mutiny,  which  boys  will 
find  especially  absorbing.  The  many  young  admirers  of 
James  Otis  will  not  let  this  book  escape  them,  for  it  fully 
equals  its  many  predecessors  in  excitement  and  sustained 
interest."  —  Chicago  Evening  Post. 

LITTLE  WHITE   INDIANS.      By  Fannie  E.  Os- 

TRANDER. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .        •  $1.25 

"  A  bright,  interesting  story  which  will  appeal  strongly 

to  the    '  make-believe '    instinct  in   children,   and   will 

give  them  a  healthy,  active  interest  in  'the  simple  life." 

MARCHING    WITH    MORGAN.       How    Donald 

Lovell,   Became    a   Soldier  op    the  Revolution. 

By  John  L.  Veasy. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .  •        .    ^  $1.50 

This  is  a  splendid  boy's  story  of  the  expedition  of 
Montgomery  and  Arnold  against  Quebec. 
A— 10 


